Association Between Oxidative Stress and Cytokine Production in Nickel-Treated Rats

The aim of this study was to evaluate a possible relationship between lipid peroxidation, cytokine production, such as interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), and hepatotoxicity of rats after nickel chloride (NiCl2) acute poisoning. Administration of NiCl2significantly elevated the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), IL-1, TNF-α, and TGF-β in the serum of rats. The dose–effect relationship for the increase of serum MDA, as observed in the present study, corresponds closely to the increase of IL-1, TNF-α, and TGF-β in serum. Treatment with ascorbic acid (Vit C) significantly lowered the levels of lipid peroxidation, cytokine production, and the activities of alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase in the serum of the rats given NiCl2. The hepatic toxicity was increased in a dose-dependent manner and corresponds to the increase of serum IL-1, TNF-α, and TGF-β. There was an association between lipid peroxidation and the levels of cytokines in serum of rats after NiCl2administration. Reactive oxygen species may serve as a mediator of lipid peroxidation and production of cytokines in NiCl2injection.