Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Biomarkers of oxidative stress in rat for assessing toxicological effects of heavy metal pollution in river water

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Increasing use of heavy metals in various fields, their environmental persistency, and poor regulatory efforts have significantly increased their fraction in river water. We studied the effect of Musi river water pollution on oxidative stress biomarkers and histopathology in rat after 28 days repeated oral treatment. River water analysis showed the presence of Zn and Pb at mg/l concentration and Ag, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sn, and Sb at μg/l concentration. River water treatment resulted in a dose-dependent accumulation of metals in rat organs, being more in liver followed by kidney and brain. Metal content in both control and low-dose group rat organs was below limit of detection. However, metal bioaccumulation in high- and medium-dose group organs as follows: liver—Zn (21.4 & 14.5 μg/g), Cu (8.3 & 3.6 μg/g), and Pb (8.2 & 0.4 μg/g); kidney—Zn (16.2 & 7.9 μg/g), Cu (3.5 & 1.4 μg/g), Mn (2.9 & 0.5 μg/g), and Pb (2.6 & 0.5 μg/g); and brain—Zn (2.4 & 1.1 μg/g), and Ni (1 & 0.3 μg/g). These metals were present at high concentrations in respective organs than other metals. The increased heavy metal concentration in treated rat resulted significant increase in superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione S transferase enzymes activity, and lipid peroxidation in a dose-dependent manner. However, glutathione content and catalase activity were significantly decreased in treated rat organs. Histopathological examination also confirmed morphological changes in rat organs due to polluted river water treatment. In conclusion, the findings of this study clearly indicate the oxidative stress condition in rat organs due to repeated oral treatment of polluted Musi river water.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aebi H (1984) Catalase. In: Packer L (Ed), Methods in enzymology, Academic pres, Orlando. 105:121–126

  • Al-Attar AM (2011) Vitamin E attenuates liver injury induced by exposure to lead, mercury, cadmium and copper in albino mice. Saudi J Biol Sci 18:395–401

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alissa EM, Ferns GA (2011) Heavy metal poisoning and cardiovascular disease. J Toxicol 2011:1–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beg KR, Ali S (2008) Chemical contaminants and toxicity of Ganga river sediment from up and down stream area at Kanpur. Am J Environ Sci 4:362–366

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Berglund AM, Sturve J, Förlin L, Nyholm NE (2007) Oxidative stress in pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) nestlings from metal contaminated environments in northern Sweden. Environ Res 105:330–339

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Buechler S, Gayathri Devi M, Raschid-Sally L (2002) Livelihoods and wastewater irrigated agriculture along the Musi River in Hyderabad City, Andhra Pradesh, India. Urban Agric Mag 8:14–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlberg I, Mannervik B (1985) Glutathione reductase. Methods Enzymol 113:484–490

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chary NS, Kamala CT, Raj DS (2008) Assessing risk of heavy metals from consuming food grown on sewage irrigated soils and food chain transfer. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 69:513–524

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Espín S, Martínez-López E, Jiménez P, María-Mojica P, García-Fernández AJ (2014) Effects of heavy metals on biomarkers for oxidative stress in Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus). Environ Res 129:59–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farombi EO, Adelowo OA, Ajimoko YR (2007) Biomarkers of oxidative stress and heavy metal levels as indicators of environmental pollution in African cat fish (Clarias gariepinus) from Nigeria Ogun River. Int J Environ Res Public Health 4:158–165

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Farombi EO, Akintunde JK, Nzute N, Adedara IA, Arojojoye O (2012) Municipal landfill leachate induces hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress in rats. Toxicol Ind Health 28:532–541

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fatima RA, Ahmad M (2006) Genotoxicity of industrial wastewaters obtained from two different pollution sources in northern India: a comparison of three bioassays. Mutat Res 609:81–91

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Habig WH, Pabst MJ, Jakoby WB (1974) Glutathione S-transferase. The first enzymatic step in mercapturic acid formation. J Biol Chem 249:7130–7139

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Iyengar V, Nair P (2000) Global outlook on nutrition and the environment: meeting the challenges of the next millennium’. Sci Total Environ 249:331–346

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jollow DJ, Mitchell JR, Zampaglione N, Gillete JR (1974) Bromobenzene-induced liver necrosis. Protective role of glutathione and evidence for 3, 4-bromobenzeneoxide as the hepatotoxic metabolite. Pharmacology 11:151–169

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jomova K, Valko M (2011) Advances in metal-induced oxidative stress and human disease. Toxicology 283:65–87

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karadag H, Fırat Ö, Fırat Ö (2014) Use of oxidative stress biomarkers in Cyprinus carpio L. for the evaluation of water pollution in Ataturk Dam Lake (Adiyaman, Turkey). Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 92:289–293

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kaushik A, Sharma HR, Jain S, Dawra J, Kaushik CP (2010) Pesticide pollution of River Ghaggar in Haryana, India. Environ Moni Assess 160:61–69

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li Y, Wang YB, Gou X, Su YB, Wang G (2006) Risk assessment of heavy metals in soils and vegetables around non-ferrous metals mining and smelting sites, Baiyin, China. J Environ Sci 18:1124–1134

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li X, Chen Z, Chen Z, Zhang Y (2013) A human health risk assessment of rare earth elements in soil and vegetables from a mining area in Fujian Province, Southeast China. Chemosphere 93:1240–1246

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lowry OH, Rosebrough NJ, Farr AL, Randall RJ (1951) Protein measurement with the Folin-phenol reagent. J Biol Chem 193:265–275

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Malik A, Verma P, Singh AK, Singh KP (2011) Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water and bed sediments of the Gomti River, India. Environ Monit Assess 172:529–545

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marklund S, Marklund G (1974) Involvement of superoxide anion radical in the autoxidation of pyrogallol and a convenient assay for superoxide dismutase. Eur J Biochem 47:469–474

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Márquez-García B, Córdoba F (2009) Antioxidative system and oxidative stress markers in wild populations of Erica australis L. differentially exposed to pyrite mining activities. Environ Res 109:968–974

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martinez-Haro M, Green AJ, Mateo R (2011) Effects of lead exposure on oxidative stress biomarkers and plasma biochemistry in waterbirds in the field. Environ Res 111:530–538

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mittal M, Flora SJ (2006) Effects of individual and combined exposure to sodium arsenite and sodium fluoride on tissue oxidative stress, arsenic and fluoride levels in male mice. Chem Biol Interact 162:128–139

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nabulo G, Black CR, Young SD (2011) Trace metal uptake by tropical vegetables grown on soil amended with urban sewage sludge. Environ Pollut 159:368–376

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • OECD guideline 407 (2008) Guideline for the testing of chemicals: repeated dose 28—day oral toxicity study in rodents. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development: Paris

  • Paglia DE, Valentine WN (1967) Studies on qualitative and quantitative characterization of erythrocytes glutathione peroxidase. J Lab Clin Med 70:158–169

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pandey S, Parvez S, Sayeed I, Haque R, Bin-Hafeez B, Raisuddin S (2003) Biomarkers of oxidative stress: a comparative study of river Yamuna fish Wallago attu (Bl. & Schn.). Sci Total Environ 309:105–115

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Prabhakar PV, Reddy UA, Singh SP, Balasubramanyam A, Rahman MF, Indu Kumari S, Agawane SB, Murty US, Grover P, Mahboob M (2012) Oxidative stress induced by aluminum oxide nanomaterials after acute oral treatment in Wistar rats. J Appl Toxicol 32:436–445

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pullaiah C (2013) Assessing the economic impact of water pollution—a case study of Musi River Hyderabad, India. Int Res J Social Sci 2:18–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Raj BG, Patnaik MC, Babu PS, Kalakumar B, Singh MV, Shylaja V (2006) Heavy metal contaminants in water-soil-plant-animal continuum due to pollution of Musi river around Hyderabad in India. Indian J Anim Sci 76:131–133

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roméo M, Bennani N, Gnassia-Barelli M, Lafaurie M, Girard JP (2000) Cadmium and copper display different responses towards oxidative stress in the kidney of the sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax. Aquat Toxicol 48:185–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sánchez-Iglesias S, Méndez-Alvarez E, Iglesias-González J, Muñoz-Patiño A, Sánchez-Sellero I, Labandeira-García JL, Soto-Otero R (2009) Brain oxidative stress and selective behaviour of aluminium in specific areas of rat brain: potential effects in a 6-OHDA-induced model of Parkinson’s disease. J Neurochem 109:879–888

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scalon MC, Rechenmacher C, Siebel AM, Kayser ML, Rodrigues MT, Maluf SW, Rodrigues MA, Silva LB (2010) Evaluation of Sinos River water genotoxicity using the comet assay in fish. Braz J Biol 70:1217–1222

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh A, Sharma RK, Agrawal M, Marshall FM (2010) Health risk assessment of heavy metals via dietary intake of foodstuffs from the wastewater irrigated site of a dry tropical area of India. Food Chem Toxicol 48:611–619

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Srinivasan JT, Reddy VR (2009) Impact of irrigation water quality on human health: a case study in India. Ecol Econ 68:2800–2807

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tabrez S, Ahmad M (2009) Effect of wastewater intake on antioxidant and marker enzymes of tissue damage in rat tissues: implications for the use of biochemical markers. Food Chem Toxicol 47:2465–2478

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Uttara B, Singh AV, Zamboni P, Mahajan RT (2009) Oxidative stress and neurodegenerative diseases: a review of upstream and downstream antioxidant therapeutic options. Curr Neuropharmacol 7:65–74

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • van der Hoek W (2004) A framework for a global assessment of the extent of wastewater irrigation: the need for a common wastewater typology. In: Scott CA, Farunqui NI, Raschid-Sally L (eds) Wastewater Use in Irrigated Agriculture. Confronting the Livelihood and Environmental Realities. CAB International, International Water Management Institute, International Development Research Centre, Trowbridge, pp 11–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Wills ED (1969) Lipid peroxide formation in microsomes. Relation of hydroxylation to lipid peroxide formation. Biochem J 113:333–341

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Zhang X, Wu B, Cheng S (2012) Evaluating the transcriptomic and metabolic profile of mice exposed to source drinking water. Environ Sci Technol 46:78–83

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao D, Cheng S, Wu B, Zhang Y, Zhang X, Li W, Cui Y (2009) Toxicity of the Yangtze River source of drinking water on reproductive system of male mice (Mus musculus). Ecotoxicology 18:729–735

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors UAR and PVP thank ICMR, New Delhi, for financial support through ICMR-SRF fellowship. The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for funding the work through the research group project No. RGP-VPP-009.

Compliance with ethical standards

All procedures were reviewed and approved by Institutional Animal Ethics Committee of our organization (File No. IICT/BIO/TOX/PG/21/03/2014).

Conflict of interest

Authors do not have any conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Toxicology Unit, Biology Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India

    Utkarsh A. Reddy, P. V. Prabhakar, G. Sankara Rao, Pasham Rajasekhar Rao, K. Sandeep, M. F. Rahman, S. Indu Kumari, Paramjit Grover & M. Mahboob

  2. Analytical and Molecular Bioscience research group, Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Haseeb A. Khan

Authors
  1. Utkarsh A. Reddy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. V. Prabhakar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. G. Sankara Rao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Pasham Rajasekhar Rao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. K. Sandeep
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. M. F. Rahman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. S. Indu Kumari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Paramjit Grover
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Haseeb A. Khan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. M. Mahboob
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Mahboob.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Reddy, U.A., Prabhakar, P.V., Rao, G.S. et al. Biomarkers of oxidative stress in rat for assessing toxicological effects of heavy metal pollution in river water. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 13453–13463 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4381-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4381-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation