| Abstract
| - It has previously been reported that a toxic dose of protocatechuic acid (PA), a naturally occurringsimple phenolic antioxidant in dietary plant foodstuff, has a potential to enhance tumorigenesisand induce contact hypersensitivity in mouse skin. In this study, the modifying effect of a toxicdose of PA on the glutathione (GSH) level in mouse liver and kidney was examined. Intraperitonealadministration of PA (500 mg/kg) caused significant hepatic and nephrotic GSH depletion.Interestingly, slight but significant hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity, characterized by the enhancement of plasmic alanine aminotrasferase (ALT) activity and urea level, respectively, were alsoobserved. The subchronic administration of PA (0.1% in drinking water) for 60 days showed notonly a significant decrease in the GSH level in kidney but also a significant enhancement of ALTactivity in plasma. The protective role of GSH for acute hepatotoxicity using GSH-depleted miceadministered a GSH synthesis inhibitor buthionine sulfoximine was also demonstrated. Thus, it issuggested that overdoses of PA can disturb the detoxification of other electrophilic toxicants includingultimate carcinogens. Keywords: Protocatechuic acid; antioxidant; toxicity; mouse; glutathione
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