Alterations in brush border membrane enzymes, carbohydrate metabolism and oxidative damage to rat intestine by potassium bromate.

The acute toxicity of potassium bromate (KBrO(3)) on rat small intestine was studied in this work. Animals were given a single oral dose of KBrO(3) (100 mg/kg body weight) and sacrificed 12, 24, 48, 96 and 168 h after the treatment; control animals were not given KBrO(3). The administration of KBrO(3) resulted in a reversible decline in the specific activities of several BBM enzymes. Lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and hydrogen peroxide levels increased while total sulfhydryl groups and reduced glutathione decreased in KBrO(3)-treated rats indicating induction of oxidative stress in the intestinal mucosa. The activities of anti-oxidant and carbohydrate metabolic enzymes were also altered upon KBrO(3) treatment. The maximum changes in all the parameters were 48 h after administration of KBrO(3) after which recovery took place, in many cases almost to control values after 168 h. Histopathological studies supported the biochemical findings showing extensive damage to the intestine at 48 h and recovery at 168 h. These results show that a single oral dose of KBrO(3) causes reversible oxidative damage to the intestine.