Mateus, MLdos Santos, APMBatoreu, MCC2015-12-302015-12-302001TOXICOLOGY LETTERS. - Vol. 119, n. 1 (FEB 3 2001), p. 39-470378-4274http://hdl.handle.net/10451/20951The interaction of zinc(II) on the toxicokinetics of 2,5-hexanedione (2,5-HD); the ultimate toxic metabolite of n-hexane, was performed by quantifying the changes of two urinary biomarkers, free 2,5-HD and pyrrole derivatives, in rats exposed to 2,5-HD and to 2,5-HD plus zinc acetate. Eight groups of Wistar rats were exposed for 4 days (dietary and intraperitoneally) to 2,5-HD, zinc acetate and 2,5-HD plus zinc acetate and the 24 h urine was used to determine the excretion of these biomarkers. On comparing the results obtained by the two routes of exposure with different doses of 2,5-HD and zinc acetate, it was observed that there was a significant decrease (P 0.05) in the excretion of free 2,5-HD and pyrroles derivatives in rats exposed to the chemical mixture, when compared with the excretion of these biomarkers in rats exposed to 2,5-HD alone. To evaluate the mechanism of this interaction, further experiments were performed using one group of rat dietary pre-exposed to zinc acetate followed by 2,5-HD exposure. The results of our experiment suggest that zinc protect proteins of pyrrolization by coordination to amino groups, with the subsequent inhibition of protein cross-linking responsible by 2,5-HD neurotoxicity. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.application/pdfengToxicologyjournal article