Influence of cadmium chloride, mercuric chloride, and sodium vanadate on the glutathione-conjugating enzyme system in liver, kidney, and brain of mice.

Sublethal doses of CdCl2 (3 mg/kg iv), HgCl2 (2 mg/kg iv), or NaVO3 (6 mg/kg iv) did not alter the content of reduced glutathione (GSH) in the livers of mice during the 24-h observation period. In the kidneys, a tendency to increased GSH content was seen, especially after HgCl2 treatment; in lung and brain the GSH levels were significantly lowered upon the treatment with all three metals. The activities of GSH S-transferase toward an aryl substrate (CDNB; 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene) was enhanced in all tissues by the administration of HgCl2 greater than NaVO3 greater than CdCl2. The activity of GSH S-transferase toward an epoxide substrate [1,2-epoxy-3-(p-nitrophenoxy)propane was only measurable in the livers and was inhibited 1 and 2 h after the administration of HgCl2 and NaVO3. It is concluded that sublethal doses of CdCl2, HgCl2, or NaVO3 do not impair the GSH concentration and GSH-conjugating enzyme activities toward the aryl substrate in different target organs of their toxicity, which is in contrast to results obtained in vitro.