Effects of aluminium and selenite ions to oxidative stress in mice brain and blood

Introduction: Aluminium (Al) is considered as pro-oxidant and it can potentiale oxidative and inflammatory events by activating ROS generation that eventually leads to tissue damage and neurodegenerative disorders. Several experiments have shown that Al can reduce glutathione (GSH) level. GSH level depends on selenium (Se) which can increase the antioxidant capacity of several intracellular systems and the level of GSH. The present study was carried out in order to examine a possible protective effect of selenite ions (SeO₃²⁻) on the redox status in mice blood and brain under short-term (24 hours) exposure to aluminium ions (Al³⁺). Materials and methods: Experiments were done on 4-6 weeks old Balb C mice once intraperitoneally injected with AlCl₃ (0.5 LD₅₀) and/or Na₂SeO₃(0.25 LD₅₀) solutions. The exposure-time to metals was 24 hours. Control mice were injected with the same volume of saline solution. (License of State Veterinary Service for Working with Laboratory Animals No. 0221). Reduced glutathione (GSH) was determined by reaction with 5,5'-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid), absorbtion was measured at 412 nm. Lipid peroxides were estimated by measuring thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substances and were expressed as malondialdehyde (MDA). Results: Our results indicated, that the treatment with Al³⁺ and/or SeO₃²⁻ did not cause any significant changes in the concentration of GSH in the brain. [...].