Oxidant and antioxidant status of cadmium administered rats

Cadmium is one of the industrial elements that lead environmental pollution. Biological half-life of cadmium is relatively longer, so its clearance from tissue is considerably long. In present study, oxidant stress and antioxidant defense mechanism due to exposure to cadmium in rats wanted to be investigated. For such a purpose adult female wistar albino rats were divided into two as control and experimental groups. During experimental period while both group animals were fed by standard fodder, cadmium added (20mug Cd/ml as cadmium sulfate) drinking water was given to experimental group for four weeks. At the end of four weeks blood samples were drawn from animals under ether anesthesia. As a last product of lipid peroxidation malondialdehyde (MDA) level, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity which is sign of antioxidant defense enzyme activity and glutathione levels (GSH) were measured. Increase in lipid peroxidation has been observed by increased MDA levels in experimental group (p<0.001). SOD enzyme activity was also found to be significantly lower in experimental group (p<0.001). Glutathione level of experimental group found to be decreased according to control group values (p<0.01). As a result of present study it may be concluded that cadmium may lead to increase in lipid peroxidation. On the other hand SOD activity and glutathione levels may also be decreased by effect of cadmium in erythrocytes. So the resultant would be the disturbed antioxidant mechanism