DNA Damage and Glutathione Peroxidase Activity in Liver and Kidney Cells in Wistar Rats Exposed to Terbuthylazine (TERB) for 28 Consecutive Days

Abstract

The potential of low doses of the chloro-triazine herbicide terbuthylazine to induce DNA damage and impair activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) was evaluated in kidney and parenchymal and non-parenchymal liver cells of adult male rats. In a 28-day study, terbuthylazine was applied daily by oral gavage at doses: 0.004, 0.4 and 2.29 mg/kg bw/day. Tail Intensity (T Int) and Tail Length (TL) were used as descriptors of DNA damage. In the kidney, Tail Int was significantly different in all treated groups, while TL was different in 0.4 and 2.29 mg/kg bw/day groups, compared to controls. Significant differences in TL were recorded in parenchymal and non-parenchymal liver cells of all treated groups. Tail Int was significantly different from controls in non-parenchymal liver cells at all applied doses and in parenchymal cells at terbuthylazine doses of 0.004 and 2.29 mg/kg bw/day. A significant increase in GPx activity was observed only in the kidney at doses 0.4 and 2.29 mg/kg bw/day compared to the controls indicating its possible role in the protection of kidney from free radicals. It appears that repeated exposure to low doses of terbuthylazine could cause DNA instability in kidney cells and in parenchymal and non-parenchymal liver cells in rats.