Assessment of carcinogenic benzo[a]pyrene acute toxicity involving oxidative stress in mice lung and liver.

Abstract: Benzo[a]pyrene is one of the most prevalent environmental carcinogen and genotoxic agent. However, the mechanisms of benzo[a]pyrene-induced oxidative damage and acute toxicity in lung and liver tissues especially in mice are still poorly studied. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of short-term exposure to benzo[a]pyrene in mice. Thirty six mice were divided into two main groups: a control group, receiving sunflower oil as benzo[a]pyrene vehicle and an intoxicated group, receiving a unique intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg/kg of benzo[a]pyrene; each group was then divided into three sub-groups and sacrificed at 24h, 48h and 72h after benzo[a]pyrene/vehicle injection. The acute toxicity was assessed by the measurement of oxidative stress parameters: Glutathione content, antioxidant enzymes activity and lipid peroxidation level in both mice lung and liver. The acute exposure to benzo[a]pyrene induces variations in the activity of the enzymatic antioxidants: Catalase and glutathione-s-transferase, a decrease in glutathione content after 24 hours in the mice lung and an increase in lipid peroxidation especially in the mice liver. These results suggest that oxidative stress is actively involved in benzo[a]pyrene acute intoxication in mice.