Oxidative damage induced by chromium (VI) in rat erythrocytes: protective effect of selenium

Excess chromium (Cr) exposure is associated with various pathological conditions including hematological dysfunction. The generation of oxidative stress is one of the plausible mechanisms behind Cr-induced cellular deteriorations. The efficacy of selenium (Se) to combat Cr-induced oxidative damage in the erythrocytes of adult rats was investigated in the current study. Female Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups of six each: group I served as controls which received standard diet, group II received in drinking water K2Cr2O7 alone (700 ppm), group III received both K2Cr2O7 and Se (0.5 Na2SeO3 mg/kg of diet), and group IV received Se (0.5 mg/kg of diet) for 3 weeks. Rats exposed to K2Cr2O7 showed an increase of malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl levels and a decrease of sulfhydryl content, glutathione, non-protein thiol, and vitamin C levels. A decrease of enzyme activities like catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase activities was also noted. Co-administration of Se with K2Cr2O7 restored the parameters cited above to near-normal values. Therefore, our investigation revealed that Se was a useful element preventing K2Cr2O7-induced erythrocyte damages.