Hepatic c-fos expression is independent of oxidative stress and inflammation induced by acute cadmium exposure in rats.

AIM

To investigate the relationships between c-fos expression and oxidative stress or inflammation in the liver induced by acute cadmium (Cd) exposure.

METHODS

Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 groups, 10 rats in each group. They were intragastrically pretreated with distilled water, distilled water, vitamin E (50 mg/100 g body weight), 25, 50 and 75% Sagittaria sagittifolia (SS) extract (2 ml/100 g weight) once a day for 10 consecutive days. Twenty-four hours after the last feeding, all animals were intraperitoneally administered CdCl(2) (20 micromol/kg body weight) except for the control group which was given distilled water. Twenty-four hours after intoxication, the glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents and gene expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and c-fos were measured in the livers.

RESULTS

Acute Cd exposure significantly increased MDA levels, decreased GSH levels and upregulated the gene expression of TNF-alpha and c-fos in the liver. Vitamin E and middle and high doses of SS were able to inhibit the MDA level, but only middle and high doses of SS enhanced the GSH level and inhibited the upregulation of TNF-alpha gene expression. However, neither vitamin E nor SSwas able to inhibit the upregulation of c-fos gene expression in the liver.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggested that c-fos induction is independent of oxidative stress or inflammation in the liver during the process of acute Cd exposure in rats.