ascorbic-acid and 3-bromobenzanthrone

3-Bromobenzanthrone (3-BBA), an anthraquinone intermediate dye, is extensively used in textile industry. Since, our prior studies have shown that 3-BBA caused significant depletion of ascorbic acid (AsA) levels, the effect of exogenous supplementation of AsA on the urinary elimination of 3-BBA metabolites was investigated.. Guinea pigs were treated with single oral dose of 3-BBA (50 mg/kg b. wt.) in groundnut oil while another group was treated with single oral dose of 3-BBA (50 mg/kg b. wt.) along with 3 day prior and post oral supplementation of AsA. Control groups were either treated with groundnut oil or AsA alone. Urine from individual animals was collected, extracted and analysed on HPTLC.. The highest elimination of 3-BBA (75 microg) was found to be in 0-24 h urine fraction which decreased to 18 microg and 5 microg in the two subsequent 24 hourly fractions of urine. Exogenous supplementation of AsA increased the total urinary elimination of 3-BBA by almost 77%. A total of 10 fluorescent metabolites excluding the parent compound were eliminated in the urine of guinea pigs treated with 3-BBA. Densitometric scanning of chromatogram showed different peaks at Rf 0.18, 0.22, 0.27, 0.34, 0.40, 0.48, 0.56, 0.66, 0.72, 0.80, and 0.95 which were eliminated and marked as urinary metabolite 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 respectively. AsA not only significantly enhanced the elimination of 3-BBA metabolites but also modified the pattern of metabolites drastically in 0-6 h, 6-24 h and 24-48 h urine fractions.. These results indicate that AsA may be useful in protecting the toxicity of 3-BBA by fascilitating the urinary metabolite(s) excretion of 3-BBA.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Animals; Antioxidants; Ascorbic Acid; Benz(a)Anthracenes; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Guinea Pigs; Lipid Peroxidation; Plant Oils; Time Factors

Benzanthrone (BA) and 3-bromobenzanthrone (3-BBA) are important dye intermediates used in the manufacture of various vat and disperse dyes. BA has been implicated as a cause of hepatic malfunctions and dermal lesions in workers. However, not much information on halogenated BAs, especially 3-BBA, is available. Experiments were designed to undertake a comparative safety assessment of both BA and 3-BBA, given orally at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight for 10 days to guinea pigs. There was a significant decrease (25%) in body weight with 3-BBA, whereas BA treatment did not cause any change. Serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and glutamate pyruvate transminase were found to be significantly (P<0.05) increased in 3-BBA- as well as in BA-treated animals. 3-BBA and BA led to substantial depletion of ascorbic acid in both liver and adrenal glands. However, depletion of ascorbic acid was more pronounced with 3-BBA (19.2-28.3%) than with BA (13.5-16.6%). 3-BBA and BA treatments caused 80% and 24% depletion of hepatic free sulfydryl content, while lipid peroxidation showed a significant enhancement of 73% and 47%, respectively. BA and 3-BBA caused decreases in cytochrome P-450 content and phase I enzymes particularly ethoxyresorufin- O-deethylase and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase, whereas phase II enzymes (quinone reductase and glutathione- S-transferase) were substantially increased. Activities of bio-antioxidant enzymes, viz., glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase and catalase, were significantly increased by 153, 104, 20 and 67% in the 3-BBA-treated group, whereas the degree of increase in these parameters was relatively less in BA-treated group. The data indicate that both BA and 3-BBA can disturb membrane integrity by decreasing endogenous glutathione and ascorbic acid levels with a concomitant increase in lipid peroxidative damage. This may in turn lead to impairment of hepatic P-450-dependent monooxygenase, while the changes in antioxidant enzymes reveal oxidative stress. 3-BBA treatment caused dilation of portal triad with thickening of arterial wall, hyperplasia of Kupffer cells and influx of inflammatory cells between hepatic cords, which could be due to formation of Br(*) radical or due to formation of semiquinone type of intermediate following oxidation. The results may be interpreted to mean that industrial workers exposed to 3-BBA are at higher risk than those exposed to BA, and necessary precautions should be taken to

Topics: Administration, Oral; Adrenal Glands; Alanine Transaminase; Animals; Antioxidants; Ascorbic Acid; Aspartate Aminotransferases; Benz(a)Anthracenes; Body Weight; Catalase; Coloring Agents; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; Glutathione Peroxidase; Glutathione Reductase; Guinea Pigs; Lipid Peroxidation; Liver; Male; Oxidoreductases; Superoxide Dismutase