Abstract:

Cadmium, which is one of the toxic metals widely used in many areas of the world, is taken into the body in different ways. In this study, the damage caused by cadmium in the brain and how this damage affects the levels of glial fibrial acidic protein, 8-Oxo-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), neuronal nitric oxide synthase, Süperoksit dismutaz (SOD), Glutatyon (GSH), glutatyon peroksidaz (GPX), inducible nitric oxide synthase, and malondialdehid (MDA) expression in the brain tissue were investigated. A total of 16 male Wistar albino rats 200-220 g were used in the experimental study. Rats were divided into 2 groups. A single cadmium i.p. dose of 0.025 mmol/kg was given to rats in the cadmium group. Rat brain tissue samples were analyzed using biochemical analyses as well as histopathological and immunohistochemical methods. In the histopathological examination of the brain tissues, normal histological structure was observed in the brain samples belonging to the control group, while necrosis and degeneration of neurons in the brain, as well as hyperemia in the parenchyma and meningeal vessels were observed in the cadmium group. In immunohistochemical examinations, while glial fibrial acidic protein, 8-OHdG, and neuronal nitric oxide synthase expression was not observed in the brain samples of control group, severe expression of glial fibrial acidic protein, 8-OHdG, and neuronal nitric oxide synthase was observed in the brain tissue of the group receiving cadmium. In the biochemical analyses performed, it was observed that SOD, GSH, and GPx enzyme levels increased in cadmium groups, inducible nitric oxide synthase and MDA enzyme levels were decreased. As a result of this study, it is thought that markers’ expression levels are important in understanding the oxidative stress in pathogenesis of cadmium toxicity and will provide a guide and important contributions to future studies.

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