Effects of N-acetyl cysteine and sodium selenite on rats with acute exposure to cadmium

Objective To study the effects of N-acetyl cysteine and sodium selenite on liver and kidney of rats with acute exposure to cadmium.Methods 32 Wistar rats were randamly divided into four groups.Control group was injected sc with 0.9% NaCl;Cadmium chloride group was injected sc with 35μmol/kg CdCl_2;Others were pretreated by administering ip injection of 1mmol/kg NAC(N-acetyl cysteine)and 10μmol/kg Na_2SeO_3 respectively 2 hour before the injection of CdCl_2.Liver,kidney cortex and blood samples were collected 24 hours after CdCl_2 administration.LDH(lactic dehydrogenase),GPT(glutamic pyruvic transaminase)activities in serum were determined Cd(lacdmium),MDA(malondial dehyde)and GSH(glutathion)contents in liver and renal cortex as well as GSH-Px(glutathion peroxidase)activities were mensurated.Results Compared with control group,LDH and GPT activities in serum and Cd contents in both liver and renal cortex with Cd alone were obviously increased.GSH,MDA contents in liver were increased significantly and GSH-Px activities were obviously decreased with Cd alone.Contrast with the group of given Cd alone,LDH and GPT activities in serum and GSH,MDA contents in liver with the administration of NAC were decreased significantly.Cd contents n both liver and renal cortex also decreased significantly;The pretreatment of Na_2SeO_3 had significantly reduced LDH,GPT activities in serum;GSH and Cd contents in both liver and renal cortex were also reduced significantly.It also obviously increased GSH-Px activities in liver and MDA contents in renal cortex as compared with those given Cd alone.Conclusions NAC and Na_2SeO_3 may have protective effects on Cd induced acute hepatic toxicity,which may relate to the content of GSH and the activities of GSH-Px.