Molecular mechanisms of metabolic disorders in the organs of rats of different ages affected by sodium nitrite in the context of tobacco intoxication
Authors: Lyhatskyi P. H. , Fira L. S. , Fira D. B. , Kuzmak I. P. 
Published: June 2017

Among pollutants a significant threat is posed by heavy metals, nitrate fertilizers and industrial waste. However, people also contribute to this threat through bad habits such as smoking and alcohol. All these factors affect health and can cause death. The aim of this study was to investigate the content of reactive oxygen species, markers of cytolysis of hepatocytes, cardoza and the degree of endogenous intoxication in the organism of rats affected by nitrite of sodium on the background of tobacco intoxication. The experiments were carried out on white rats, which were divided into three age categories: immature, mature and old, who for 30 days were exposed to tobacco smoke. The research animals were divided into three groups. One of them for 24 hours before the end of the experiment was given sodium nitrite, the second group was given sodium nitrite 72 hours before the end of the experiment. 30 days after poisoning we tested the contents of reactive oxygen species in neutrophils, cytolysis of erythrocyte membrane was investigated by erythrocytic index of intoxication, hepatocytes and cardiocytes – aminotransferase activity. The degree of endogenous intoxication was evaluated by the content of average weight molecules in blood serum. Poisoning of rats with sodium nitrite on the background of the 30 day intoxication by tobacco smoke led to a significant formation of ROS in neutrophils of rats of different age groups. We investigated the activity of aminotransferases in the blood serum and the above organs of rats after exposing them to sodium nitrite and 30 day tobacco smoke. In the blood serum of adult and aged rats, the activity of alanine aminotransferase increased in these conditions by 2.1 and 1.6 times, respectively. Sodium nitrite, which was an additional factor in the intoxication of the rats of all age groups by smoke, caused more pronounced changes in the activity of the studied enzyme in the blood serum. In the liver and myocardium of rats of different ages a reliable decrease of this index was observed in all experimental groups. There was a significant increase in the serum of rats at different ages of aspartate aminotransferase activity. Aspartate aminotransferase activity in the myocardium of all experimental animals showed a reduction by 1.2–1.3 times after smoke inhalation and 1.5–1.6 times with simultaneous intoxication of the rats by sodium nitrite and tobacco smoke. Sodium nitrite, as an additional toxin raised the penetration capacity of erythrocytes among rats poisoned with smoke.By the end of the experiment, the erythrocyte index of intoxication increased in all age groups: immature rats by 31.7%, mature – by 36.0%, in old rats – by 23.6%. The next step of our research was to investigate the markers of endogenous intoxication – average molecular weight. After the simultaneous intoxication of rats by sodium nitrate and tobacco smoke, at the end of the experiment the content of average weight molecules was λ = 254 and of average mass λ=280 inthe blood serum of rats of all age groups increased by 3.1–3.3 times compared with the intact control group. Immature rats proved most sensitive to the action of sodium nitrite and tobacco.