Oxidative Damage in rats by Inhalation Exposure to Hexavalent Chromium

흰쥐의 6가 크롬 흡입폭로에 의한 산화적 손상에 관한 연구

According to the epidemiological studies in chromium workers, hexavalent chromium is associated with the risk of lung cancer. Cellular oxidative damages by reactive oxygen species produced by hexavalent chromium exposure may play an important role in the carcinogenesis process. We investigated the availabilities of malondialdehyde measurement for the assessments of oxidative damages from chromium exposure with an experimental inhalation study in vivo. Lipid peroxidation, one kind of cellular oxidative damage, was measured in blood plasma of the rats which inhaled the hexavalent chromium mist for 1, 2 and 3 weeks. The concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA), the metabolite of lipid peroxidation, in all exposed groups were higher than those of controls with dose-dependant manner. The levels of MDA were also correlated with urine chromium levels of the rats. Therefore, MDA as an indicator of lipid peroxidation could be proper biologic marker for the assessment of the oxidative damage from chromium exposure, which might be involved in carcinogenesis.