The toxic effect of pesticide terbuthylazine on antioxidative enzymes and proteins of erythrocytes in vitro
Project summary
Terbuthylazine is a widely used herbicide. In weeds, it inhibits photosynthesis. Due to its stability, terbuthylazine is present in soil, surface and groundwater. It can accumulate in plant and animal organs, and reach the human body through the food chain. It belongs to the group of toxic substances that are not carcinogenic.
The toxic effects of pesticides are also being re-examined due to the increase in malignant diseases in humans. One of the toxic effects of pesticides is the production of reactive oxygen species (superoxide anion radical, hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide), which leads to a change in the activity of antioxidant defense enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase). In conditions of disturbed homeostasis, when the production of free radicals is excessive, and the capacity of antioxidant defense is insufficient to protect the cell, oxidative stress occurs. Cellular integrity and function are impaired, which can end in cell death. Therefore, examination of changes in the activity of antioxidant protection enzymes in erythrocytes may be one of the first indicators of the presence of terbuthylazine. The enzyme glutathione-S-transferase participates in the detoxification of pesticides. Protease activity in such conditions may be increased, which would affect to the protein concentration. Human erythrocytes are a suitable system for monitoring the effects of terbuthylazine due to the inability to synthesize proteins and enzymes because they do not have a nucleus or organelles. Erythrocytes will be isolated from blood samples by centrifugation. Enzyme activity and protein concentration from erythrocytes will be determined by spectrophotometric and electrophoretic methods.
Goal of the project
Investigating of the effect of terbuthylazine on human erythrocytes in vitro by measuring the activity of antioxidant defense enzymes and glutathione S-transferase activity. Monitoring the effect of terbuthylazine on the concentration of hemoglobin in erythrocytes.
- dr Biljana Davidović-Plavšić, coordinator
biljana.davidovic-plavsic@pmf.unibl.org
- dr Aleksandra Nikolić-Kokić,collaborate san@ibiss.bg.ac.rs
- ma Nataša Lukić, collaborate natasa.lukic@uni-hohenheim.de
- Ivan Samelak,collaborate ivan.samelak@pmf.unibl.org
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