Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activity in different organs of mice exposed to low level of mercury

The effects of mercuric chloride (Hg) on lipid peroxidation (LPO), glutathi one reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD ) and glutathione (GSH) levels in different organs of mice (CD-1) were eval uated. Mice were exposed (2 days/week) to 0.0 (control), 0.8 (low) and 8.0 (mid) and 80.0 (high) gHg/kg/day for 2 weeks. The high dose group was exclu ded from the study due to high mortality. LPO levels in kidney, testis and epididymus at low and mid doses; GR and GPx levels in testis at mid dose; S OD levels in brain and testis at both doses, liver and epididymus at mid do se; GSH levels in testis at both doses were significantly increased compare d to their controls. However, the GR levels in kidney at both doses and in epididymus at mid dose; GPx levels in kidney and epididymus and SOD levels in kidney at both the doses; GSH levels in epididymus at mid dose were sign ificantly decreased compared to their control. Body weight gain and food ef ficiency were significantly reduced (p<0.05) in mid dose. These results ind icated that Hg treatment enhanced LPO in all tissues, but showed significan t enhancement only in kidney, testis and epididymus suggesting that these o rgans were more susceptible to Hg toxicity. The increase in antioxidant enz yme levels in testis could be a mechanism protecting the cells against reac tive oxygen species.