EFFECT OF CADMIUM AND VITAMIN-E INTAKE ON PROOXIDATIVE ANTIOXIDATIVE STATE OF RAT-LIVER

The effect of cadmium intake on prooxidative/antioxidative parameters in liver was studied in 30-day-old weaned male rats. Cadmium was admin istered in the form of cadmium (II) chloride at a dose of 100 mu g/kg body weight/day during 3 months. The animals were fed the nutritionall y balanced lacto-vegetable diet containing predominantly unsaturated f atty acids, high-quality amino-acid mixture casein + gluten (1:1) as w ell as vitamin E in the form of alpha-tocopheryl acetate at concentrat ions either 60 mg/kg of food (groups CG, CG + Cd) or 600 mg/kg of food (CG + Cd + E). The following parameters were estimated: conjugated di enes (CD) of fatty acids, malondialdehyde (MDA) (as TEA-reactive subst ances), activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glu tathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). Cadmium intake resulted in induction of imbalance in prooxidative/antioxidative processes which were demonstra ted as a significant elevation of CD and MDA (by a factor of 2 and 1.3 , respectively) as well as increase in relative production of H2O2 (in crease in the level of SOD/CAT from 1.75 in CG to 1.94 in CG + Cd; inc rease in SOD/GSH-Px from 45.6 in CG to 52.3 in CG + Cd). A tenfold inc rease in vitamin E intake in group CG + Cd + E restored the prooxidati ve/antioxidative equilibrium in rat liver that has been disturbed by t he effect of cadmium. This restoration was demonstrated by reduction o f the levels of CD, MDA, SOD/CAT and SOD/GSH-Px to the levels of CG co ntrol. The results obtained in this study are significant with respect to possible nutritional modification or regulation of the balance in prooxidative/antioxidative processes by essential antioxidants from th e diet.