LAUSR

Manganese (Mn) can have adverse effects on organisms as a result of heavy or chronic exposure, including neurological damage. This study examined the effects of chronic exposure to manganese chloride (MnCl2) on various biochemical indices of inflammatory cytokines, antioxidant enzymes, and heat shock proteins (HSPs) in the kidneys of Hy-line cocks. The exposures were carried out using 600, 900, or 1800 mg/kg doses of MnCl2 administered for periods of 30, 60, and 90 days. The exposure experiments indicated that Mn concentration in the kidneys increased over time and that Mn exposure potentially caused ultrastructural changes to the cells. Treatment with Mn was seen to increase the levels of various biomarkers, including protein carbonyl group content; DNA-protein cross-links (DPCs) and the mRNA expression of inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), nuclear factor-κB p50 (NF-κB p50), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and prostaglandin E synthase (PGES). The levels of other biomarkers were found to decrease as a result of Mn exposure, including the mRNA expression of oxidation indexes such as copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZn–SOD), manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT). Accompanying the above changes, Mn exposure was seen to result in the relative mRNA and protein expression of HSPs 90, 70, 60, 40, and 27 increasing significantly. Thus, in cock kidneys, HSPs attenuated the biological changes caused by toxic exposure to Mn. This mechanism needs further exploration.