PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF PROBIOTIC BACTERIA AGAINST CADMIUM-INDUCED GENOTOXICITY IN RAT HEPATOCYTES IN VIVO AND IN VITRO

The protective effect of probiotic bacteria against cadmium (Cd)-induced genotoxicity was studied in rat hepatocytes in vivo and in vitro. Male Wistar rats, Rattus norvegicus, were treated for five weeks with (i) CdCl2 (70 ppm in the drinking water), (ii) a mixture of lyophilized probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus rhamnosus, L. acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum (5x10(8) cfu/g of food), or (iii) CdCl2 and probiotic bacteria. In addition, single cells obtained from the untreated rat liver were exposed to CdCl2 (70 ppm), probiotic bacteria (1.28 mg/ml), or CdCl2 and probiotic bacteria, for 15 min at 22 degrees C in the dark. The level of Cd-induced DNA damage in hepatocytes was determined by the comet assay. The obtained results show that probiotic bacteria significantly reduced Cd-induced genotoxicity, both in vivo and in vitro (20% and 48%, respectively). Moreover, the toxicity of Cd to lactobacilli in the gastrointestinal tracts of rats was significantly decreased in the probiotic-treated animals. The binding of Cd2+ to probiotic bacteria was proposed as the most probable protection mechanism.