An experimental study on effects of alpha-lipoic acid and taurine on acute oxidative damage caused by cadmium

Objective To study the effects of alpha-lipoic acid(LA)and taurine(Tau)on acute oxidative damage caused by cadmium. Method Thirty-two Wistar rats were divided into four groups randomly,with eight rats in each group.The first group was given intraperitoneally with normal saline 5 ml/kg as control.The second one was given intraperitoneally with normal saline first and subcutaneously with cadmium chloride(CdCl2)35 μmol/kg two hours later.The third one was pretreated intraperitoneally with LA 175 μmol/kg first and injected subcutaneously with CdCl2 35 μmol/kg two hours later.And,the fourth one was pretreated intraperitoneally with taurine 4 mmol/kg first and injected subcutaneously with CdCl2 35 μmol/kg two hours later.Twenty-four hours after treatment,blood specimens were collected from the abdominal aortae of the rats and then they were killed and their liver and kidney were taken out.Activities of lactic acid dehydrogenase(LDH)and alanine aminotransferase(ALT)in serum,levels of Cd,malonydialdehyde(MDA)and glutathione(GSH)and activities of glutathion peroxidase(GSH-Px)and superoxide dismutase(SOD)in the liver and renal cortex were measured.Result Serum activities of LDH and ALT and level of Cd in the liver and renal cortex increased significantly,activity of SOD declined significantly,levels of GSH and MDA increased significantly and activity of GSH-Px declined significantly in the rats exposed to Cd only,as compared to the controls.Activities of ALT and LDH and level of Cd declined significantly and activity of GSH-Px in the liver increased significantly in the rats pretreated with LA and Tau,and level of MDA declined significantly in the liver and activity of SOD in the liver and renal cortex increased significantly in the rats pretreated with LA and level of GSH in the liver and level of Cd in the renal cortex declined significantly in the rats pretreated with Tau,as cmpared with the rats treated with Cd only.Conclusion Pretreatment with LA and Tau in rats could antagonize acute oxidative liver damage induced by cadmium to a certain extent.