Antioxidant effect of diphenyl diselenide on oxidative damage induced by smoke in rats: Involvement of glutathione

In the present study, the involvement of glutathione system in the restorative effect of diphenyl diselenide (PhSe)2 on damage induced by cigarette smoke was investigated. Rat pups were progressively exposed to four, five, and six cigarettes for exposure periods of 15 min during their first, second, and third weeks of life. Thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) levels, components of the enzymatic antioxidant defenses (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities), and non-enzymatic antioxidant defenses (vitamin C and non-protein thiol (NPSH) levels) were examined in lungs of pups. The results demonstrated an increase in lipid peroxidation and the alteration in non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant defenses induced by cigarette smoke exposure in lung of pups. Administration of (PhSe)2 (0.5 mg/kg) restored TBARS levels and antioxidant defenses in lungs of rat pups exposed to cigarette smoke. (PhSe)2 treatment increased NPSH levels and GST activity per se in lungs of rat pups. Together these results indicate that (PhSe)2 restored oxidative damage induced by cigarette smoke exposure in lungs of rat pups. The glutathione system is involved in antioxidant effect of this compound.