Analysis of potassium iodate reduction in tissue homogenates using high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

Potassium iodate (KIO3) and potassium iodide (KI) are the major salt iodization agents used worldwide. Unlike iodide (I−), iodate (IO3−) should be reduced to I− before it can be effectively used by the thyroid. In this study, we developed a new method for analyzing IO3− and I− in tissue homogenates using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS). We further applied the method to demonstrate the KIO3 reduction process by tissues in vitro. The effects of KIO3 on the total antioxidative activity (TAA) and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) were also investigated here. Finally, we found that IO3− can be reduced to I− by tissue homogenates and IO3− irreversibly decreases the antioxidant capability of tissues. Our studies suggest that KIO3 might have a big effect on the redox balance of tissue and would further result in oxidative stress of organisms.