Oxidative damage following chronic aluminium exposure in adult and pup rat brains.

Aluminium is known to cause neurotoxic effects. In the past few years there has been an upsurge of interest in aluminium exposure through diet and environment, which might impair the development of mammals. The present in vivo study was designed to investigate the potential of aluminium to participate in either antioxidant or pro-oxidant processes in both developed and developing rat brain. Markers of oxidative stress were determined in rat brains exposed to AlCl3 (100 mg/kg body weight) for 8 weeks. The aluminium dose was given to adult rats for 8 weeks and in another group, exposure of aluminium for 60 days was done postnatally, 21 days to the feeding mother (lactation period) and 39 days to the rat pups. The results showed a statistically significant (p<or=0.01) increase in lipid peroxidation (LPx) as measured by production of malondialdehyde in both cerebrum and cerebellum of pup brains. A significant increase (p<or=0.001) in LPx was also observed in the adult group. Furthermore, aluminium exposure resulted in a significant decrease in superoxide dismutase and catalase activity in both regions of the brain of developing and developed rat brain. Thus the results of the present study suggest that in rats, aluminium (100 mg/kg body weight) has a pro-oxidant effect and thus acts as a neurotoxin.