Bone Abstracts

Cadmium is characterized by oxidative properties and this heavy metal-induced oxidative stress has been recognized to be involved in its injurious impact on the skeleton. Oxidative/reductive processes are an integral component of bone remodeling; however, destroying of the bone tissue oxidative/antioxidative status with excessive production and accumulation of reactive oxygen species has detrimental impact on bone metabolism. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether polyphenolic compounds, known to possess strong antioxidative properties, can improve the antioxidative capacity of the bone tissue under chronic exposure to cadmium. For this purpose, chosen indices of the enzymatic antioxidative barrier (glutathione peroxidase and catalase), total antioxidative status (TAS), and total oxidative status (TOS) as well as the level of oxidative stress (OSI=TOS/TAS) of the bone tissue at the distal femoral end (trabecular bone region) of the female Wistar rats administered as the only drinking fluid 0.1% water extract of polyphenols from the berries of Aronia melanocarpa or/and cadmium in diet (5 mg/kg) for 3, 10, 17, and 24 months were estimated. The exposure to cadmium decreased the activities of glutathione peroxidase and catalase, and TAS of the bone tissue and increased the bone TOS resulting in the development of oxidative stress. The administration of polyphenolic compounds under the exposure to cadmium protected from this heavy metal-induced weakening of the bone antioxidative capacity and from oxidative stress in the bone tissue. Based on the results, it can be concluded that consumption of polyphenol-rich products such as Aronia melanocarpa berries under long-term exposure to cadmium may have beneficial impact on the skeleton via improving the bone tissue oxidative/antioxidative status.

This study was financially supported by the grant (no. N N405 051140) from the National Science Centre (Poland).