OXIDATIVE STRESS INDUCES THE EXPRESSION OF TELOMERASE IN PROSTATE RAT EXPOSED TO CADMIUM

ÁLVAREZ, SM; ZIRULNIK, F; MARTÍNEZ, D AND GIMÉNEZ, MS.

Lima

Congreso; VII Congreso Iberoamericano de Biología Celular, I Congreso Peruano de Biología Celular.; 2001

Sociedad Iberoamericana de Biologia Celular

Cadmium is a toxic element considered as an important environmental contaminant, associated with a higher incidence of cancer. Male Wistar rats (21 days of age) were divided into two groups: the exposure group (Cd) which received 100 ppm Cd in drinking water for 12 weeks and the control group (Co) which didn’t receive Cd. The rats were killed and the prostates were obtained. We analyzed the lipoperoxidation level by TBAR’S, the activity of Catalase (CAT), Glutation peroxidase (GPx) and Superoxide dismutase (SOD) were determined. Metallothionein (MT) was quantified and telomerase expression was detected by TRAP. The results are media ± SEM. TBAR’S increased in prostate rats (Co: 0,34±0,11; Cd:9,92±0,52x10-5nM/mg prot,p<0.0001). GPx didn’t change (Co:5,462±3,837; Cd: 2,632±0,695 mol NADPH/min/mg prot). CAT showed a decrease in the activity (Co: 4,022±0,412; Cd: 1,813±0,3765x10-14 moles H2O2/mg prot,p<0.005) as well as SOD (Co: 559,34±43,02; Cd: 155,51±40,47 UI/mg prot, p<0.003) in the Cd group. MT level was higher in Cd group (Co: 32,9±11,707; Cd: 164,067±10.091 ppb, p:0.0005) and we saw a high expression of telomerase in the exposed group. The oxidative stress induced by Cadmium on the prostate rat would stimulate the expression of telomerase, a marker of carcinogenic procedures.