ACUTE-PHASE REACTANT PROTEINS AND ANTIOXIDANTS IN RATS INTOXICATED CHRONICALLY WITH PARAQUAT

Paraquat dichloride at 250 ppm in the diet was led continuously to rat s. Though no apparent effect of paraquat was observed until 10 d, some rats then began to show several symptoms such as diarrhea, anorexia, epistaxis, and hypokinesia, and in some cases rats died after this per iod. The biochemical examination of plasma components revealed appreci able changes in the concentrations of an acute-phase reactant protein and some vitamins that act as antioxidants. alpha-Cysteine proteinase inhibitor increased by 5-fold, and vitamin C and its radical increased by 1.5- and 1.7-fold, respectively, whereas alpha 1 proteinase inhibi tor decreased slightly. Paraquat enhanced the cysteine proteinase inhi bitor levels in lung, liver, and kidney by 6.2-, 6.0-, and 4.5-fold of control, respectively. Among three components of alpha-cysteine prote inase inhibitor, the T kininogen level of treated rat plasma was about eight-fold higher than control, whereas the high-molecular-weight kin inogen level was unchanged. The large increment of T kininogen was als o seen in lungs of the treated rats.