Protective Effect of Carrot Juice Pretreatment on Cadmium-Induced Oxidative Cytotoxic Damage to Some Rat Tissues

Abstract

The effect of pretreatment with carrot juice on the cytotoxic response of the antioxidant defense systems in the liver and kidneys of rats exposed to mild doses of cadmium was examined. Male wistar strain rats (200-250 g b.wt) were exposed to a single daily oral dose of cadmium (3 mg CdCl2/kg) in drinking water for two days following a 5-day oral supplementation with carrot juice as drinking water at the end of which membrane lipid peroxidation, ascorbic acid and glutathione contents and activities of antioxidant enzymes catalase, superoxide dismutase, and cadmium content were determined in the liver and kidney samples and the results subjected to statistical analysis. It was found that pretreatment with carrot juice effectively countered Cd-induced membrane lipid peroxidation, depletion of the non-enzymic antioxidants, ascorbic acid, and glutathione, and induction of the antioxidant enzymes catalase and superoxide dismutase in the liver and kidney as well as effectively reduced cadmium accumulation in the liver and kidney and cadmium-induced liver tissue cell injury, all of which effects are consistent with a protective effect of carrot juice The protective effect of carrot juice pretreatment against Cd-induced lipid peroxidation and tissue ascorbic acid and glutathione depletion was more pronounced in the kidney than in the liver. The active antioxidant principle was not determined but is presumed to be carotenoids.