PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF VITAMIN E AND SODIUM SELENITE IN MERCURY CHLORIDE-INDUCED TOXICITY IN HUMAN LEUKOCYTES IN VITRO

摘要

Mercury chloride is a heavy metal known to be highly harmful to humans and animals. The present study was designed to investigate the protective role of vitamin E and sodium selenite on mercuric chloride-induced oxidative stress on human leukocytes in vitro. In this study, sodium selenite, vitamin E, vitamin E+sodium selenite, mercury chloride, sodium selenite+mercury chloride, vitamin E+mercury chloride and sodium sele- nite+vitamin E + mercury chloride were given leukocytes culture for 24 hr. In human leukocytes, malondialdehyde (MDA) level, antioxidant enzyme activities [total superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), total glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and total glutathione-S-transferase (GST)], viability assay EtBr/AO dual staining for apoptosisecrosis, micronucleus (MN) levels and changes of DNA structure were evaluated. MDA level and changes of antioxidant enzyme activities in the cells were examined by spectrophotometer 24 hr after the procedure and the results were compared with the control group. There were MDA level and changes of antioxidant enzyme activities in the human leukocytes in the mercury chloride group, whereas in the leukocytes of vitamin E+mercury chloride, sodium selenite+mercury chloride and sodium selenite+vitamin E+ mercury chloride, the MDA level and antioxidant enzyme changes of activities were lower. Apoptosisecrosis percentage, MN levels and changes of DNA structure with DNA% tail and tail length were higher in mercury chloride than other treatment group. As a result, vitamin E, sodium selenite and vitamin E+sodium selenite+mercury chloride decreased the leukocytes- toxic effect but could not fully protect.