Phycobiliproteins from Pseudanabaena tenuis rich in c-phycoerythrin protect against HgCl2-caused oxidative stress and cellular damage in the kidney

• Published in: Journal of applied phycology Vol. 22; no. 4; pp. 495 - 501
• Main Authors: Cano-Europa, Edgar, Ortiz-Butrón, Rocio, Gallardo-Casas, Carlos Angel, Blas-Valdivia, Vanessa, Pineda-Reynoso, Marisol, Olvera-Ramírez, Roxana, Franco-Colin, Margarita
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.08.2010
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cyanobacteria; Ecology; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Life Sciences; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Pseudanabaena; Phycobiliproteins; Renal damage; Pollutants; Mechanism of action; Mercury; Environmental health
• ISSN: 0921-8971; 1573-5176
• DOI: 10.1007/s10811-009-9484-z

Our objective was to study if the phycobiliproteins of the cyanobacterium Pseudanabanea tenuis rich in phycoerythrin protect renal cells against mercury-caused oxidative stress and cellular damage in the kidney. We used 40 male mice that were assigned into five groups: a control group that received phosphate buffer (PB) and saline and four treatment groups which received either PB+HgCl 2 , PB+phycobiliproteins, or HgCl 2 +phycobiliproteins. The kidneys of the mice were used to determine lipid peroxidation and quantification of reactive oxygen species, oxidized glutathione, and peroxidase activities (catalase and glutathione peroxidase) and were also examined histologically. Our results demonstrated that HgCl 2 causes oxidative stress and cellular damage and that all doses of phycobiliproteins prevented the increase of oxidative markers and partially protected against HgCl 2 -caused cell damage. This is the first report which applied phycobiliproteins of P. tenuis rich in c-phycoerythrin, like antioxidants against mercury chloride-caused oxidative stress and renal damage.