Aluminum effect on lipid peroxidation and on the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase in the cerebral hemisphere and liver of young chicks.

Aluminum was injected (i.p.) as aluminum sulphate (4, 40 and 100 mg/kg body weight, n = 5 per group) daily into day-old White Leghorn male chicks for 7, 15 and 30 days. Aluminum (Al) treatment (100 mg dose) to chicks over 7 and 30 days resulted in a decrease in activities of cytosolic total and CN(-)-sensitive superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the cerebral hemisphere (CH). In the 15-day treated group, activities of cytosolic total, CN(-)-sensitive and CN(-)-insensitive SOD of CH were decreased in response to all doses of Al. In the liver, activities of cytosolic total and CN(-)-sensitive SOD were decreased in response to all doses of Al treatment for 7 and 15 days. But 40 and 100 mg doses were effective in decreasing activities of the enzymes in the 30-day treated group. The catalase (CAT) activity of CH of chicks was inhibited by all doses of Al under treatment for 7 days, but was inhibited only in the case of the 100 mg dose when the duration of treatment was increased to 15 days. The inhibition was again observed in chicks treated for 30 days in response to 40 and 100 mg doses. CAT activity of liver of chicks was decreased in response to all doses of Al in the 7-day treated group and in response to 40 and 100 mg doses in the 15- and 30-day treated groups. Al treatment did not affect lipid peroxide levels of CH and liver of chicks. These results suggest that decrease in activities in SOD and CAT in CH and liver of the chicks after Al treatment constitutes one of the factors for the mechanism of tissue injury by Al.