Antioxidant defense enzyme activities in the interscapular brown adipose tissue of rats treated with cadmium and coenzyme Q10

Abstract

In our study we investigated the effects of exogenous cadmium (Cd, 17 mg /day /kg b.m. in drinking water), coenzyme Q10 (CoQ 10, 16 mg/kg/dose CoQ10 dissolved in olive oil, i.m., every fifth day) and Cd+CoQ10 (i n above mentioned amou nt s) on antioxidant de­ fense enzyme activities (Total SOD, Mn SOD, CuZn SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, GST and GR) in interscapular hrown adipose tis sue (IBAT) of male two months old Wistar albin o rats during 30 days. Cd induces significantly increased Mn SOD activity, while concomitant treatment of animals with Cd+CoQ10 reversed this change. The activity of CuZn SOD was significantly decreased both in Cd and Cd+CoQ10 treated animals. CAT activity was sig­ nificantly increased in rats treated with Cd, whereas Cd+CoQ 10 normalized the activity of this enzyme. The activity of GSH-Px was significantly increased in all investigated groups of animals. Cd in­ duces an increased activity of GST, but by concomitant treatment of rats with Cd+CoQ10 the GST activity was retained . The activity of GR was significantly increased in Cd treated animals, while in rats treated with Cd+CoQ10 was signi fican tl y decre_ased. It can be concluded that Cd induces oxidativ e stress and a l ter the activities of some antioxidant defense enzymes in IBAT of rats. It is also shown that CoQ 10 can normal ized Mn SOD, CAT a nd GST activities after Cd-induced changes .