Background: The aim of this study was to determine the possible relationship between the activity of three different antioxidant enzymes--peroxidase superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase--and carbon tetrachloride-induced injury.
Methods: Male Wistar rats weighing 200-250 g were used in the experiments. Rats of the experimental groups were given carbon tetrachloride 0.5 ml/kg i.p. in olive oil (5 mmol/kg body mass) for 1 or 3 days. Control group rats were injected with olive oil only for the same period. Brain, liver, kidney, and heart supernatants were used for measurement of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities.
Results: No statistically significant changes in SOD and GPX activities were observed in the liver after CCl4 administration, but catalase activity was significantly increased after 24 h and remained at that level during the course of the study. In the brain, SOD and catalase activities decreased after 24 h of experiment, but GPX activity statistically significantly increased at all time points studied. Increased activities of SOD, catalase, and GPX were found in heart after CCl4 intoxication. The CCl4 injection in our experiment caused a reduction of SOD and catalase activities and increased GPX activity in the kidney.
Conclusions: The results suggest that change in antioxidant enzyme activities may be relevant to the ability of the liver and other investigated organs to cope with oxidative stress during CCl4 poisoning.