EFFECTS OF ALUMINUM SULFATE AND CITRIC-ACID INGESTION ON LIPID-PEROXIDATION AND ON ACTIVITIES OF SUPEROXIDE-DISMUTASE AND CATALASE IN CEREBRAL HEMISPHERE AND LIVER OF DEVELOPING YOUNG CHICKS

Effect of oral administration of aluminum sulphate (200 and 400 mg/kg body wt/day) without or with citric acid (62 mg/kg body wt/day) to day -old White Leghorn male chicks (n = 5 per group) for 30 days was studi ed on the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, and l evel of lipid peroxidation in cerebral hemisphere and liver. A 400 mg dose of Al in the presence of citric acid inhibited cytosolic total an d CN--sensitive superoxide dismutase activities of the cerebral hemisp here in 7- and 30-day treated chicks, whereas in 15-day treated chicks the enzyme activities were decreased in response to both doses in the presence of citric acid. In case of liver, activities of these enzyme s significantly decreased after 7, 15 and 30 days of treatment with 20 0 and 400 mg Al together with citric acid, whereas 400 mg Al alone inh ibited the enzyme activities after 15 and 30 days of treatment. Cerebr al catalase activity decreased in response to 400 mg Al when the chick s were also fed with citric acid for 7 and 30 days, but in 15-day trea ted chicks the enzyme activity was depleted following treatment with 2 00 and 400 mg Al combined with citric acid. 400 mg Al treatment for 7 days in combination with citric acid inhibited hepatic catalase activi ty and extension of the treatment period to 15 and 30 days also produc ed reduction in its activity even in response to the lower Al dose mix ed with citric acid. CN--insensitive SOD activity of cerebral hemisphe re and liver was unaffected by Al. Al also failed to induce lipid pero xidation in both the tissues throughout the course of exposure. Activi ties of SOD and catalase of cerebral hemisphere and liver of 30-day ol d chicks were observed to be inhibited by in vitro incubation with dif ferent concentrations of Al. Our in vivo study demonstrates that only CN--sensitive SOD is susceptible to Al. Further, responses of SOD and catalase to Al is tissue specific. The observed inhibition of antioxid ant enzyme activities by Al is suggestive of a prooxidant state. Induc tion of such an oxidative condition of the tissues may be attributed t o a direct effect of the metal on enzyme molecules or in their synthes is.