Research Article Open Access Volume 5 • Issue 4 • 1000289 J Environ Anal Toxicol ISSN: 2161-0525 JEAT, an open access journal Open Access Research Article Environmental & Analytical Toxicology J o u r n a l o f E n v i r o n m e n t a l & A n a l y t i c a l T o x i c o l o g y ISSN: 2161-0525 Rouabhi et al., J Environ Anal Toxicol 2015, 5:4 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2161-0525.1000289 *Corresponding author: Rouabhi R, Applied biology department, SESNV Faculty, Larbi Tebessi University, Tebessa, 12000, Algeria, Tel: 213 213-37-49-03-02; E-mail: r_rouabhi@yahoo.fr Received April 01, 2015; Accepted April 20, 2015; Published April 26, 2015 Citation: Rouabhi R, Gasmi S, Boussekine S, Kebieche M (2015) Hepatic Oxidative Stress Induced by Zinc and Opposite Effect of Selenium in Oryctolagus Cuniculus . J Environ Anal Toxicol 5: 289. doi:10.4172/2161-0525.1000289 Copyright: © 2015 Rouabhi R, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Hepatic Oxidative Stress Induced by Zinc and Opposite Effect of Selenium in Oryctolagus Cuniculus Rouabhi R 1 *, Gasmi S 1 , Boussekine S 1 and Kebieche M 2 1 Applied biology department, SESNV Faculty, Larbi Tebessi University, Tebessa, 12000, Algeria 2 Laboratory of pharmacology and phyotochemestry, University of Jijel, Algeria Keywords: Antioxidant; Oryctolagus cuniculus; Selenium; Zinc chloride; Oxidative stress Introduction Human activities have greatly increased the release of various molecules in the environment that some prove toxic to all living beings. hese activities include the food industry, metallurgy, mining, pharmaceutical, power plants, and paper mills. Among the introduced molecules, heavy metals occupied a signiicant place [1]. he toxic potential of a metal for a living body is based on a myriad of parameters. For the same amount, a metal can be toxic under some conditions and be safe in others. It is therefore essential to understand the ways in which a metal is toxic in order to accurately determine the risk it poses in given conditions [2]. Zinc is both essential for metabolism and detoxiication of xenobiotics, but as metal is a pollutant to the environment, in a few doses zinc can cause side efects in human [3-7] and animals [8-14]. he world of biological and medical sciences is invaded by a new concept of "oxidative stress" that is to say, a situation in which the cell cannot control the excessive presence of highly toxic oxygen radicals. Currently, it is well accepted that although oxidative stress is not a disease itself, it is potentially involved in many diseases such as trigger or associated with complications during their evolution. Over production of free radicals can cause an imbalance in cellular redox status producing oxidative damage to biomolecules, (lipids, proteins, DNA). At the same time, antioxidants, such as glutathione, arginine, citrulline, taurine, creatine, selenium, zinc, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin A and polyphenols help to regulate the ROS thus generated. Antiradical is further supported with antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase those exert synergistic actions in removing free radicals [15,16]. Selenium is a component of glutathione peroxidases, antioxidant enzymes are one of the main defenses against attacks from the body produced by oxygen free radicals, this element is in the environment .It is widespread in earth's crust, most tissues and living cells [17]. his work is an investigation of the opposite role of selenium on the toxic efect of zinc in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Materiel and Methods Animals Male rabbits strain Oryctolagus cuniculus body weight 1.5-1.9 kg was used in this study. hey have been housed individually in stainless metal cages during an adaptation period of 14 days in a controlled temperature/humidity/photoperiod room (22 ± 2°C; 50%; 12 h dark/ light cycle). he feeding of rabbits was based on speciic artiicial diet for rabbits, and they accessed water freely. Treatment protocol Rabbits were divided in 4 lots of 5 individuals each: Controls (no treatments), treated with ZnCl 2 at 0.24 mg/kg/day, treated with Se at 0.05 µg/kg/day and treated with mixture Zn+Se (0.24 mg/kg/day; 0.05 µg/kg/day). All treatments are per os (p. o.) way, for 14 days and carried out with conformity to the international guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals. Chemicals In this study, we used the selenium under sodium selenite (Na 2 Se 3 ) form, and zinc as zinc chloride (ZnCl 2 ), for the treatment of rabbits. All chemicals are provided from Larbi Tebessi university laboratories. Ater 14 days of treatment, the rabbits were sacriiced and the organs were picked up, liver and kidney were recovered, weighed and preserved for assays. Some biochemical metabolites (proteins, carbohydrates and fats), and some parameters of oxidative stress in the liver (GSH, GPx, CAT, MDA, GST) was investigated, emphasizing on the role of selenium. Abstract The objective of this work is to study the opposite effect of Selenium on the toxicity induced by zinc in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Twenty rabbits were given repeated per os (p.o.) administration, ive with zinc chloride at 0.24 mg/Kg/day, ive with 0.05 µg/kg/day of selenium, ive with mixture (ZnCl 2 /Se) 0.24mg/kg+0.05µg/kg/day and ive rabbits served as controls. In the present study, Hepatotoxic effect of zinc chloride translated by a decrease of body weight (weight gain), a decreased of lipid rate, an increased in carbohydrate amount and proteins level in the liver. The pro-oxidant effect of zinc chloride on hepatocytes was irst investigated. The gavage of ZnCl 2 into rabbits at the dose of 0.24 mg/kg/day, induced stress by a signiicant reduction of GST, CAT and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, glutathione (GSH) level. In addition, a signiicant increase in malonedialdehyde (MDA) levels was observed, (index of lipid peroxidation). On the other hand, the supplementation of selenium (Se) 0.05 µg/kg/day orally in rabbits treated with zinc has improved some biochemical parameters and decreased the other harmful effects of zinc; selenium seems to be a simple and effective antioxidant to reduce the imbalance state between the formation of free radicals and antioxidant systems.