INFLUENCE OF DEVELOPMENTAL LEAD EXPOSURE AND ETHANOL INTAKE ON OXIDATIVE STRESS PARAMETERS: ROLE OF CATALASE
Samanta A. Martinez, Mara S. Mattalloni, Liliana M. Cancela and Miriam B Virgolini
IFEC-CONICET. Depto. de Farmacología. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Argentina
Both, developmental lead (Pb) exposure and ethanol intake induce alterations in the redox balance of living organisms, by inducing the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and modifying the activity of several antioxidant enzymes such as catalase -CAT, superoxide dismutase –SOD, and glutation peroxidase –GPx, among others. Noteworthy, CAT is also implicated in ethanol metabolism with a critical role in its brain oxidation to acetaldehyde. Consequently, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether perinatal low-level Pb exposure would modify the activity of these enzymes in male Wistar rats that have voluntarily consumed ethanol. Briefly, 35 day-old rats exposed to water or 220 ppm Pb during gestation and lactation were presented 2h daily with increasing ethanol solutions (2-10%) and water until postnatal day 63 (group 63d ETOH). At the end of the experiment, all animals were sacrificed, and blood, liver, brain and kidney removed to determine the activity of the antioxidant enzymes above-mentioned. An additional two groups that did not consume ethanol were included: group 35 days (35d no-ETOH) and group 63d no ETOH. The results obtained in blood demonstrate that all three enzymes (CAT, SOD and GPx) were increased selectively in the 35d no-ETOH group perinatally exposed to Pb, whereas only CAT was further increased in the Pb 63d ETOH group. The determinations in the tissues are ongoing. The results obtained to this moment suggest that the observed increase in all three enzymes may be due to a compensatory mechanism in response to an excessive generation of ROS related to the presence of Pb traces in blood. Moreover, they point out to a critical role of CAT in the Pb/lead interaction.
