Beneficial effect of N-acetylcysteine against organophosphate toxicity in mice.

Abstract

Recent studies showed that oxidative stress could be an important component of the mechanism of organophosphate (OP) compounds toxicity. The aim of present study was to investigate either prophylactic and therapeutic effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) against fenthion-induced oxidative stress in mice. Additionally, the effects on survival rates were investigated. Therefore, we determined the changes of the blood levels of glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), nitrite, and nitrate in blood or serum. Additionally, all animals were observed for 6 h and the survival rates were recorded. It was found that fenthion administration increased the levels of MDA, and decreased the levels of GSH, nitrite and nitrate. On the other hand, both prophylactic and therapeutic NAC treatment decreased the levels of MDA, and increased the levels of GSH, nitrite, and nitrate. The results showed that NAC is able to attenuate the fenthion-induced oxidative stress whereby NAC has not only prophylactic but also therapeutic activity in fenthion poisoning. On the other hand, we found that NAC can clearly improve survival rates in mice administered with an acute high dose of fenthion poisoning. In conclusion, NAC can decrease OP-induced oxidative stress and mortality rate, but the exact mechanism of its NAC protective effect needs to be explored further.

• Authors: Yusuf Yurumez, Mustafa Cemek, Yucel Yavuz, Yavuz Osman Birdane, Mehmet Emin Buyukokuroglu
• Journal: Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin (Biol Pharm Bull) Vol. 30 Issue 3 Pg. 490-4 (Mar 2007) ISSN: 0918-6158 [Print] Japan
• PMID: 17329844 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Cholinesterase Inhibitors
• Free Radical Scavengers
• Insecticides
• Nitrates
• Nitrites
• Malondialdehyde
• Atropine
• Fenthion
• Glutathione
• Acetylcysteine

Topics

• Acetylcysteine (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Animals
• Atropine (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Cholinesterase Inhibitors (administration & dosage, toxicity)
• Drug Therapy, Combination
• Fenthion (administration & dosage, toxicity)
• Free Radical Scavengers (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Glutathione (blood)
• Injections, Intraperitoneal
• Injections, Subcutaneous
• Insecticides (administration & dosage, toxicity)
• Kaplan-Meier Estimate
• Male
• Malondialdehyde (blood)
• Mice
• Nitrates (blood)
• Nitrites (blood)
• Oxidative Stress (drug effects, physiology)
• Time Factors