Acrolein-induced oxidative stress and genotoxicity in rats: protective effects of whey protein and conjugated linoleic acid.

Acrolein (AC), a highly reactive hazardous pollutant, poses serious threats to human health. Whey protein (WP) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) have beneficial health implications. We investigated the protective effects of WP and CLA against AC-induced toxicity in rats. The animals were orally gavaged with CLA (200 mg/kg/day), WP (200 mg/kg/day), AC (5 mg/kg/day), CLA + AC (200 + 5 mg/kg/day), and WP + AC (200 + 5 mg/kg/day) six days per week for 30 days. The oral administration of AC significantly induced oxidative stress by increasing thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and protein carbonyls (PCOs) levels and decreasing glutathione (GSH) level in the spleen, thymus, and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). It also increased the frequencies of micronucleus (MN) and megakaryocytic emperipolesis (ME) and decreased the ratio of polychromatic erythrocytes (PCEs) in bone marrow. Slight alterations in urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels were not significant. Co-treatment with CLA + AC or WP + AC ameliorated the values of oxidative stress, MN, PCE, and ME. These data suggest that CLA and WP can improve the antioxidant defenses and preclude the formation of genetic damage and ME.