Fahri Karayakar

Antioxidative Effects of N-acetylcysteine, Lipoic Acid, Taurine, and Curcumin in the Muscle of Cyprinus carpio L. Exposed to Cadmium

Antioxidative Effects of N-acetylcysteine, Lipoic Acid, Taurine, and Curcumin in the Muscle of Cyprinus carpio L. Exposed to Cadmium We investigated the muscle tissue of a teleost Cyprinus carpio L. to find out whether N-acetylcysteine (NAC), alpha-lipoic acid (LA), taurine (TAU), and curcumin (CUR) were able to counteract oxidative stress induced by acute exposure to cadmium (Cd). The muscle tissue was dissected 96 h after a single intraperitoneal injection of Cd (5 mg kg-1) and of antioxidant substances (50 mg kg-1). Using spectrophotometry, we determined the glutathione redox status, lipid peroxidation levels and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione disulphide reductase (GR). Accumulation of Cd in the muscle was analysed using inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). All substances lowered Cd levels in the following order of efficiency; LA=NAC>TAU=CUR. Cadmium increased SOD activity, but CAT activity declined, regardless of antioxidant treatment. Treatment with CUR induced GPx activity. Treatment with TAU lowered Cd due to higher total glutathione (tGSH). The most effective substances on lipid peroxidation were LA and NAC due to a greater Cd-lowering potential. It seems that the protective role of TAU, LA, and NAC is not necessarily associated with antioxidant enzymes, but rather with their own activity. Antioksidativni učinci N-acetilcisteina, lipoične kiseline, taurina i kurkumina u mišićnom tkivu šarana (Cyprinus carpio L.) tretiranih kadmijem Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi mogu li N-acetilcistein (NAC), α-lipoična kiselina (LA), taurin (TAU) i kurkumin (CUR) svojim antioksidativnim djelovanjem smanjiti razinu oksidativnog stresa u mišićnom tkivu šarana (Cyprinus carpio L.) akutno otrovanih kadmijem. Uzorci mišićnog tkiva skupljeni su 96 h nakon što su ribama intraperitonealno injicirani kadmij (5 mg kg-1) i ispitivani antioksidansi (50 mg kg-1). Primjenom spektrofotometrijskih metoda izmjereni su redoks status glutationa, razine lipidne peroksidacije te aktivnosti enzima superoksid dismutaze (SOD), katalaze (CAT), glutation peroksidaze (GPx) i glutation disulfid reduktaze (GR). Maseni udio kadmija u mišićnom tkivu izmjeren je s pomoću metode induktivno spregnute plazme - optičke emisijske spektrometrije (ICP-OES). Ispitivani spojevi smanjili su nakupljanje kadmija u tkivu šarana sljedećim redoslijedom: LA=NAC>TAU=CUR. Tretman šarana kadmijem izazvao je porast aktivnosti SOD, ali se aktivnost CAT smanjila bez obzira na primjenu antioksidativnih spojeva. Dodatak CUR pojačao je aktivnost GPx. Dodatak TAU povećao je razinu ukupnoga glutationa te smanjio nakupljanje kadmija. Svi spojevi osim CUR smanjili su razinu lipidne peroksidacije te pretpostavljamo da su LA i NAC pridonijeli detoksifikaciji kadmija. Rezultati istraživanja upućuju na to da testirani spojevi, osim CUR, imaju antioksidativni učinak.

Comparison of the protective effects of antioxidant compounds in the liver and kidney of Cd‐ and Cr‐exposed common carp

The aim of this study was to see whether the taurine (TAU), alpha‐lipoic acid (LA), curcumin (CUR), and N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) protection against oxidative stress caused by heavy metals is owed to the metal‐decreasing or antioxidative effect. In this context, liver and kidney tissues of common carp (Cyprinus carpio carpio L.) were exposed in vivo to model toxicants cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr). The tissues were dissected 96 h after intraperitoneal injection of the metals and antioxidant substances. Cd and Cr levels were determined in the liver using the ICP‐OES, but we could not obtain enough kidney tissue to make the same measurements in the kidney. The enzymatic activities of SOD, CAT, and GPx, and the GSH redox status and lipid peroxidation levels were analyzed using spectrophotometric methods. Of all investigated antioxidants, only NAC decreased metal levels in the liver. Cd had little effect on oxidative stress parameters, while Cr showed a weak prooxidative effect. Cotreatment with TAU/LA/CUR/NAC and Cr significantly increased liver SOD activity. Chromium induced kidney SOD and CAT, but all antioxidants lowered CAT activity. Cadmium reduced liver and increased kidney GSSG. NAC increased liver GSH, but the increase did not correlate with decrease in Cd. Curcumin given with Cd increased kidney and decreased liver lipid peroxidation, whereas TAU with Cr increased lipid peroxidation in both tissues. N‐Acetylcysteine was the most effective antioxidative agent, owing to its metal‐decreasing function as well as to its effects on the GSH redox status. We believe that the investigated antioxidant substances which may have been involved in the reduction of Cr caused an increase in SOD activity and a decrease in CAT activity. Changes in the GSSG levels in both tissues might be an adaptive response to the prooxidative potential of Cd. Because of their respective tissue‐ and metal‐dependent prooxidative effects, CUR and TAU deserve particular attention in regard to their use against metal toxicity, Cr in particular.

Liver tissue trace element levels in HepB patients and the relationship of these elements with histological injury in the liver and with clinical parameters

AIM In this study, the relationship of liver tissue trace element concentrations with hepatitis B disease and the effects of several environmental factors were analysed. METHOD The liver tissue concentrations of Al, Fe, Cd, Mn, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn, Ag, and Co were evaluated in 92 patients with hepatitis B using the Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry (ICP/MS) method in the analyses. The patients were divided into the following two groups: low-high Ishak histologic activity index (HAI) (0-6: Low Histologic Activity, 7-18: High Histologic Activity) and low-high fibrosis (FS) (Fibrosis 1,1,2 and Fibrosis 3,4,5,6). The metal levels were compared between the groups. RESULTS The Cd concentration was found to be statistically higher in the group with low HAI scores (p=0.019). The hepatic Cu concentration was found to be higher in women than in men (p=0.046). The hepatic Fe concentration was found to be higher in the group with increased FS compared to the group with decreased FS (p=0.033). Cd was found to be higher in patients who worked in positions involving exposure to heavy metals and in individuals with an ALT level above 40 IU/L (p=0.008). Several correlations have been found between the hepatic tissue metal levels in our study. In a linear regression analysis, Fe and Zn were found to be correlated with the fibrosis scores (p=<0.001 and p=0.029), and Cu was correlated with HAI (p=0.023). In the linear regression model, Ni (p=0.018) and Cr (p=0.011) were correlated with gender. There was a correlation between the hepatic Fe level and the location where hepatitis B patients were living (village/city) (p=0.001), frequency of fish consumption (p=0.045) and smoking (p=0.018) according to the linear regression analysis. Using a logistic regression analysis, Cr (p=0.029), Ni (p=0.031) and Pb (p=0.027) were found to be correlated with smoking habit, and Zn (p=0.010), Ag (p=0.026), Cd (p=0.007) and Al (p=0.005) were correlated with fish consumption. CONCLUSION The liver tissue trace element levels are correlated with disease activity and histologic damage in patients with HepB disease. Additionally, smoking, the environment in which the patient works and the amount of fish consumption affect the accumulation of trace elements in the liver.

MERSİN KÖRFEZİ’NDE AVLANAN BALIK TÜRLERİNDEKİ AĞIR METAL DÜZEYLERİ

In this study we aimed to determine of heavy metal le-vels in gills, liver, kidney, spleen and muscle tissues of various fish species, Scomber japonicus, Caranx rhon-cus, Pegusa lascaris, consumed as nutrients and samp-led from Mersin Bay. These species of fish were chosen since they have high economic value and consumed as a protein source. Levels of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn in the tissues were determined using atomic absorption tech-niques. Heavy metal concentrations in sampled fish changed with different tissues, metals, seasons and ha-bitat. The highest accumulation rate of Zn was observed in spleen tissue whereas Cu were found to be accumu-lated highest in liver tissue samples. In addition it was observed that Cd was mainly accumulated in liver tis-sue whereas Pb was detected in gill tissue samples. Me-tal levels investigated in muscle tissue of the species are very low for human consumption, it has been determi-ned that they are acceptable levels according to the Tur-kish Food Codex.

Effects of Clinoptilolite on Copper Accumulation of Oreochromis niloticus

The copper accumulation in liver and gill tissues of Oreochromis niloticus, exposed to 2 ppm Cu and 1g/L clinoptilolite singly and to the same concentrations of their mixture over 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours was studied. ICP-AES spectrophotometer techniques were applied in determining tissue copper levels. Statistical evaluation of the experimental data was carried out by Student Newman Keul’s procedure. No mortality was observed during the experiments. Copper accumulation was lower in metal-clinoptilolite mixture group than metal singly group in gill tissue while no accumulation in both experimental groups in liver tissue (P<0.05). In addition, the copper level in the liver was lower in all experimental groups than in the control (P<0.05). Low Cu accumulation in gill tissue exposed in mixture groups can be explained by copper adsorption with chelating agent. The decrease of Cu reserves in the liver can be expressed by increase of copper-containing enzyme and protein synthesis.