Effects of selenium supplementation on lung oxidative stress after exposure to exhaust emissions from pyrolysis oil, biodiesel and diesel

Abstract

The exposure to exhaust emissions from fuels as diesel and pyrolysis oil may result in adverse effects on human lungs. This study investigated the effects of exposing mice to the exhaust emissions from diesel, biodiesel or pyrolysis oil, for 1 hour/day for 3 days, on lung oxidative stress and whether selenium administration into these mice affects the oxidative stress. The levels of lung malondialdehyde and nitric oxide were increased after exposure to pyrolysis oil exhaust. The intraperitoneal injection of 1.78 μg selenium/kg body weight 15 minutes before the exposure to the pyrolysis oil exhaust (pyrolysis oil + selenium group) restored the normal levels of malondialdehyde and nitric oxide. The catalase and SOD activities were decreased in the groups of the mice exposed to the exhaust emissions from pyrolysis oil, biodiesel or diesel. Selenium pretreatment of these groups showed no significant change in the activities of both enzymes. In conclusion, the increased lung levels of malondialdehyde and nitric oxide after the exposure to the exhaust emission from pyrolysis oil were restored to normal by selenium administration.

Keywords:

• Catalase
• exhaust emission
• lung
• MDA
• NO
• oxidative stress
• pyrolysis oil
• selenium

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank Dr Seifedine Kadry, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Faculty of Science, Beirut Arab University, Lebanon for his help in statistical analysis of the results.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflict of interest.