The Effect of Stress Condition on the Intracellular Antioxidant Copper,Zinc-Superoxide Dismutase in the Rats Kidney: an Immunohistochemical Study

Abstract

The intracellular antioxidant copper, zinc-superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD) was immunohistochemically studied in the kidney of rats under fasting stress condition. A total of 45 male Wistar rats were used for this experiment. They were divided into three groups; control group, 3 days fasted and 5 days fasted stress groups. The Cu,Zn-SOD was observed qualitatively in the kidney tissues especially in the cytoplasm of renal tubule cells, as well as quantitatively in the nucleus. The results showed that Cu,Zn-SOD level decreased in the fasting stress group when compared to that of control group. The effect was more dramatic in the 5 days than the 3 days fasted group. The decrease of the enzyme in the kidney account for the involvement of the enzyme in the antioxidant defense system in the tissues of rats under fasting stress condition, in order to defense tissue damage from the oxygen-free radical. These results suggested that fasting stress condition may increase oxygenfree radical and therefore it altered the kidney tissue and decreased their content of Cu,Zn-SOD.