Oral aluminum administration and oxidative injury

For a long time, aluminium (Al) has been considered an indifferent element from a toxicological point of view. In recent years, however, Al has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several clinical disorders, such as dialysis dementia, the fulminant neurological disorder that can develop in patients on renal dialysis. In the present study, the effect of chronic oral administration of Al on certain biochemical parameters of brain homogenate has been investigated. The feeding of test diet for 6 wk resulted in a decrease of thiols, glutathione reductase (GR), and adenosine Triphosphatase (ATPase). A nonsignificant decrease in peroxidation and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) was also detected in the Al-treated rats. From this study, it can be concluded that oxidative stress is produced by the metal.