Biomaterial Database

Combined exposure to m-xylene and ethanol: oxidative stress in the rat liver. 2003

Jolanta Jajte, and Jan Stetkiewicz, and Teresa Wrońska-Nofer

Department of Toxicology, Medical University, Lódź, Poland.

OBJECTIVE Ethanol may be a significant combined factor in human solvent toxicity. Lipid peroxidation has been suggested to be an important contributing mechanism involved in experimental alcohol-induced liver injury. The aim of the study was to investigate whether a short-term ethanol ingestion in rats chronically exposed to m-xylene vapor may influence the lipid peroxidation rate in the intracellular hepatic membranes, the level of glutathione and the activity of glutathione-related enzymes in the liver. METHODS Experiments were performed on male Wistar rats (outbred IMP:WIST) exposed to m-xylene (5 months, 5 h/day), at a low concentration (400 mg/m3), and/or acute ethanol administration (6 oral doses of 0.25 g/100 g b.w. at 12 h intervals, for the last 3 days of xylene exposure). To estimate the oxidative stress in the liver, lipid peroxidation rate in microsomal and lysosomal membranes, glutathione sulfhydryls levels, and glutathione-S-transferase activity were determined. RESULTS The studies indicated that combined exposure to ethanol and m-xylene, as distinct from the chronic exposure to m-xylene alone, led to the increased lipid peroxidation rate in microsomal and lysosomal membranes with a simultaneous decrease in the levels of glutathione sulfhydryls and glutathione-S-transferase activity. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that the enhanced lipid peroxidation rate in the intracellular hepatic membranes may be an important agent in combined ethanol/xylene-induced hepatotoxicity.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
D008297	Male		Males
D005978	Glutathione	A tripeptide with many roles in cells. It conjugates to drugs to make them more soluble for excretion, is a cofactor for some enzymes, is involved in protein disulfide bond rearrangement and reduces peroxides.	Reduced Glutathione,gamma-L-Glu-L-Cys-Gly,gamma-L-Glutamyl-L-Cysteinylglycine,Glutathione, Reduced,gamma L Glu L Cys Gly,gamma L Glutamyl L Cysteinylglycine
D005982	Glutathione Transferase	A transferase that catalyzes the addition of aliphatic, aromatic, or heterocyclic FREE RADICALS as well as EPOXIDES and arene oxides to GLUTATHIONE. Addition takes place at the SULFUR. It also catalyzes the reduction of polyol nitrate by glutathione to polyol and nitrite.	Glutathione S-Alkyltransferase,Glutathione S-Aryltransferase,Glutathione S-Epoxidetransferase,Ligandins,S-Hydroxyalkyl Glutathione Lyase,Glutathione Organic Nitrate Ester Reductase,Glutathione S-Transferase,Glutathione S-Transferase 3,Glutathione S-Transferase A,Glutathione S-Transferase B,Glutathione S-Transferase C,Glutathione S-Transferase III,Glutathione S-Transferase P,Glutathione Transferase E,Glutathione Transferase mu,Glutathione Transferases,Heme Transfer Protein,Ligandin,Yb-Glutathione-S-Transferase,Glutathione Lyase, S-Hydroxyalkyl,Glutathione S Alkyltransferase,Glutathione S Aryltransferase,Glutathione S Epoxidetransferase,Glutathione S Transferase,Glutathione S Transferase 3,Glutathione S Transferase A,Glutathione S Transferase B,Glutathione S Transferase C,Glutathione S Transferase III,Glutathione S Transferase P,Lyase, S-Hydroxyalkyl Glutathione,P, Glutathione S-Transferase,Protein, Heme Transfer,S Hydroxyalkyl Glutathione Lyase,S-Alkyltransferase, Glutathione,S-Aryltransferase, Glutathione,S-Epoxidetransferase, Glutathione,S-Transferase 3, Glutathione,S-Transferase A, Glutathione,S-Transferase B, Glutathione,S-Transferase C, Glutathione,S-Transferase III, Glutathione,S-Transferase P, Glutathione,S-Transferase, Glutathione,Transfer Protein, Heme,Transferase E, Glutathione,Transferase mu, Glutathione,Transferase, Glutathione,Transferases, Glutathione
D000395	Air Pollutants, Occupational	Toxic air-borne matter related to work performed They are usually produced by the specific nature of the occupation.	Occupational Air Pollutants,Pollutants, Occupational Air
D000431	Ethanol	A clear, colorless liquid rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and distributed throughout the body. It has bactericidal activity and is used often as a topical disinfectant. It is widely used as a solvent and preservative in pharmaceutical preparations as well as serving as the primary ingredient in ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.	Alcohol, Ethyl,Absolute Alcohol,Grain Alcohol,Alcohol, Absolute,Alcohol, Grain,Ethyl Alcohol
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012997	Solvents	Liquids that dissolve other substances (solutes), generally solids, without any change in chemical composition, as, water containing sugar. (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed)	Solvent
D014992	Xylenes	A family of isomeric, colorless aromatic hydrocarbon liquids, that contain the general formula C6H4(CH3)2. They are produced by the destructive distillation of coal or by the catalytic reforming of petroleum naphthenic fractions. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 5th ed)	Dimethylbenzenes,Xylene
D015227	Lipid Peroxidation	Peroxidase catalyzed oxidation of lipids using hydrogen peroxide as an electron acceptor.	Lipid Peroxidations,Peroxidation, Lipid,Peroxidations, Lipid