Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in rats exposed to cigarette smoke

Abstract

Summary: Oxidative metabolism in rats exposed to long term cigarette smoking was investigated in this study. Fourty four rats (22 males and 22 females) were used in this study. 11 males and 11 female rats were assigned into cigarette smoke group and 11 male and 11 female rats were used as control group. The rats assigned into passive smoking were exposed to smoke in a unit for 120 minutes a day for five days a week during 16 weeks. At the end of this period, blood samples were collected from all rats. Plasma MDA and ascorbic acid analysis were performed immediately. Haemoglobin levels and GSH-px, SOD and CAT activities were determined in erythrocytes. The results were evaluated to student t-test. It was observed that plazma MDA levels and GSH-px, and CAT activities were high and plasma ascorbic acid levels were low compared with the control group in male and female rats. SOD activities showed no significant differences. As a result, it was concluded that high plasma lipid peroxidation and low ascorbic acid concentrations may be involved in the pathogenicity of cigarette.