Assessment of in vivo oxidative lipid metabolism following acute microcystin-LR-induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

Oxidative lipid metabolism as a result of acute cyanobacterial toxin-induced hepatotoxicity was monitored in male Sprague-Dawley rats using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy and image-guided proton nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H-NMR) spectroscopy. ESR spectroscopy, coupled with spin trapping, was used to trap and detect lipid-derived radicals, formed in rat livers after acute in vivo exposure (LD 50 ) to the cyanobacterial toxin, microcystin-LR (MCLR). A statistically significant increase in the levels (spectral peak integrals) of lipid radicals was detected in MCLR-treated livers ( p <0.05) ( n =8), in comparison to control livers ( n =6). In order to monitor lipid metabolism, before and for a period of 3 u h, following toxin exposure, in vivo proton image-guided NMR spectroscopy was used. A statistically significant decrease in the levels of lipid methylene hydrogen resonances (spectral peak integrals) was observed from MCLR-treated livers ( n =6) 2 and 3 u h post-exposure ( p <0.05),...