Palm oil induced changes in ocular tissue lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzymes and ATPases of rabbits in cadmium toxicity

This study determined the effect of supplementing rabbit diet with palm oil (PO) on lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzymes and ATPases of different sections of the eyes in ocular cadmium toxicity. Twenty male New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned to 4 groups of 5 rabbits in a study that lasted for 4 weeks. The control was given deionised water as eye drops and the other groups of rabbits were given eye drops of solution of 2 mg kg−1 body wt cadmium (as 3CdSO4 · 8H2O). One test group was fed with the normal chow alone and the other test groups were fed with the chow fortified with either 5% or 10% palm oil. Ocular treatment of rabbit with cadmium significantly (P < 0.05) reduced their weight compared with the control. Feeding the animals with palm oil (PO) improved the weights of the animals and decreased cadmium accumulation in the eye tissues. Lipid peroxidation level was raised by cadmium in the cornea, lens and retina with palm oil supplementation of the animal diet significantly (P < 0.05) reducing the level of lipid peroxidation of the retina. Cadmium significantly (P < 0.05) reduced antioxidant enzymes and ATPases in the eye tissues compared with the control. Feeding the rabbits with PO significantly (P < 0.05) increased the activities of these enzymes in the retina to levels comparable with the control, with the 10% supplementation producing a more pronounced effect. The study shows that PO can alter cadmium accumulation, antioxidant enzymes and ATPases in ways which suggest that it offers protection of the eyes from ocular exposure to cadmium.