EFFECT OF FOOD CHAIN MEDIATED CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO ARSENIC AND CADMIUM ON REDUCED GLUTATHIONE (GSH) AND GLUTATHIONE S￾TRANSFERASE (GST) LEVELS IN THE BRAIN OF ALBINO RAT (WISTAR RAT)

ABSTRACT The study aims to evaluate the effect of food chain mediated chronic exposure to arsenic and  cadmium (singly and combined) on the level of reduced glutathione (GSH) and the activity of  glutathione S-transferase (GST) in brains of rats. Fortymale Wistaralbino rats were fed with a diet  containing fish fed with normal feed in water contaminated with 0.4 mg/100 ml cadmium (group B),  arsenic (group C) and cadmium + arsenic (group D) respectively for three months. The control rats  were fed with diet containing non-metal exposed fish. At the end of the experimental period, the rats  were sacrificed; brains were harvested and centrifuged to get the supernatant which were used for  biochemical assay of reduced glutathione (GSH) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) within 24 hours.  There was a significant decrease (p