Cadmium in human erythrocytes in vitro toxic effects and protective role of Vitamin C and E

Toxic effect of cadmium, which is a heavy metal, in human erythrocytes and protective role of Vitamins C and E on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes have been shown in this thesis study.In this study, the effect of different doses of cadmium (1, 50, 150 ?M) and Vitamin C (VC; 10?M) and E (VE; 30?M) were examined on the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) enzyme activities in human erythrocytes in vitro. Erythrocytes were incubated under various treatment conditions (cadmium alone, vitamins alone and cadmium+vitamins) at 37 ºC for 60 min than the levels of MDA and antioxidant enzyme activities were determined by spectrophotometer (Shimadzu UV-1800, Japan). MDA content asseyed was descriped by Ohkawa et al. (1979); SOD activity was determined according to the method descriped by Marklund and Marklund (1974), GPx activity was measured according to the Paglia and Valentine (1967), and for determination of CAT activity used the method described by Aebi (1984).Treatment with cadmium alone increased the levels of MDA, and decreased SOD, CAT and GPx activities in erythrocytes (P <0,05). There were no statistically different among cadmium+VC+VE-treated erythrocytes, as compared with non-treated control and VC+VE-treated cells. However, this efficient was seen only at low and moderate concentrations of cadmium (1 and 50 ?M), and combination of VC+VE had protective effect. CAT activity have not changed statistically as compared with non-treated control and VC+VE-treated cells in low concentration. Treatment of plasma level of VC+VE has not necessary for protection CAT activity in low concentration of cadmium. These results indicated that the presence of vitamins at concentrations that are similar to the levels found in plasma have no effect on cadmium-induced toxicity in erythrocytes at high concentration of cadmium (150 ?M).