Abstract
In order to investigate sex differences on the effects of inorganic mercury on antioxidant enzymes in different compartments, male and female albino rats were exposed to mercury (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5mg/kg) for 12 weeks. At the end of mercury exposure, total mercury in liver, kidney and whole blood was determined using Inductively‐Coupled Plasma Spectrometry (ICP‐MS) while superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities in the liver, kidney, plasma and erythrocytes were determined by standard methods. Inhibition of CAT and SOD in plasma and erythrocyte characterised the effects of inorganic mercury in female animals with the same trend in SOD of male but vice versa in CAT respectively. Inorganic mercury exposure inhibited CAT by 23% (liver) and 84% (kidney); SOD by 30% (liver) and 16% (kidney) respectively in female animals. In the male animals, a 26% inhibition of SOD was observed in the <a name=”_GoBack”></a>liver whereas CAT was inhibited by 66% in the kidney. Correlation analysis shows a negative relationship between tissue mercury levels and the two antioxidant enzymes specifically in female. Our findings support sex differences in the effects of mercury on depletion of antioxidant enzymes.
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