AN INVESTIGATION ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VANADIUM AND ANTIOXIDATIVE ENZYME SYSTEM IN RATS

The aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between free oxygen radicals and vanadium in vanadium cytotoxicity. For this purpose erythrocyte copper zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZn-SOD) erythrocyte and plasma selenium dependent glutathione peroxidase (SeGSH-Px) enzyme activities, erythrocyte thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels, erythrocyte and plasma vanadium levels were measured in Sprague Dawley rats fed with 0.15mgV/ml in tap water for the period of 15 days. And also water, food consumption and weight loss were followed during the test. Control rats were fed with normal tap water. Erythrocyte CuZn-SOD (175.4±61.40 U/ml) and plasma SeGSH-Px (0.50±0.05 U/ml) activities were significantly lower than that of control group (519.90±67.84 and 0.63±0.09 U/ml respectively) (p<0.001 and p<0.05 respectively). On the other hand erythrocyte SeGSHPx activities (21.20±2.60 U/ml) were not different from control group (22.85±4.50 U/ml). There was significant difference between erythrocyte TBARS levels of test group and control group (7.91±3.00 nmol/ml, 6.03±3.00 nmol/ml respectively). Plasma vanadium levels (18±3.92 ng/ml) and erythrocyte vanadium levels (140.50±10.33 ng/ml) of test group were significantly higher than that of control group (3.22±0.83 ng/ml and 16.11±2.85 ng/ml respectively) (p<0.001). At the end of the test the body weight of test animals (133±6.25 g) were significantly lower than that of control animals (180.80±4.25 g) (p<0.001). As a result, it has been concluded that free radical production could be responsible for the vanadium cytotoxicty.