title: Sodium arsenite-induced cardiovascular and renal dysfunction in rat via oxidative stress and protein kinase B (Akt/PKB) signaling pathway.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Arsenic is a ubiquitous element that is widely distributed in the environment to which man and animals are exposed. Cardiovascular disease is one of the aftermaths of chronic arsenic exposure-related morbidity and mortality. This study sought to investigate the possibility of reversal from arsenic-induced cardio-renal toxicity following exposure and subsequent withdrawal. The study also seeks to understand the mechanism of action of this reversal.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats were orally exposed to sodium arsenite at 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg daily for 4 weeks followed by 4 weeks of withdrawal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exposure to arsenic caused a significant increase in malondialdehyde, H2O2generation but decrease total thiol and reduced glutathione levels in both cardiac and renal tissues. Furthermore, increases in superoxide dismutase, glutathione-S-transferase and catalase with significant increases in glutathione peroxidase activities were observed in the cardiac tissues. On the contrary, a significant reduction in the renal antioxidant enzyme activity was recorded following exposure. Also, antioxidant defense system did not return to apparent values after arsenic withdrawal. Immunohistochemistry revealed a reduction in the expression of the pro-survival protein-protein kinase B (Akt/PKB) following exposure to arsenic and this was not reversed by withdrawal Discussion: Exposure to arsenic caused cardio-renal toxicity via induction of oxidative stress and down-regulation of Akt/PKB expressions.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Veterinary Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , University of Ibadan , Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ademola Adetokunbo
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8996-8610
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Oyagbemi
authors.affiliation: b Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , University of Ibadan , Nigeria.
authors.forename: Temidayo Olutayo
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9486-2861
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Omobowale
authors.affiliation: c Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , University of Benin , Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ebunoluwa Racheal
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Asenuga
authors.affiliation: a Department of Veterinary Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , University of Ibadan , Nigeria.
authors.forename: Grace Onyeche
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Ochigbo
authors.affiliation: b Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , University of Ibadan , Nigeria.
authors.forename: Abiola Olumuyiwa
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Adejumobi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Veterinary Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , University of Ibadan , Nigeria.
authors.forename: Adeolu Alex
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Adedapo
authors.affiliation: d Department of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Sciences , COSET, Texas Southern University , Houston , TX , USA.
authors.forename: Momoh Audu
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6072-2473
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Yakubu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D018053:Arsenites / Q000633:toxicity*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D017670:Sodium Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D018053:Arsenites; D017670:Sodium Compounds; C017947:sodium arsenite; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
keywords: Arsenic acid; cardiotoxicity; nephrotoxicity; oxidative stress; protein kinase B