Effect of Buthionine Sulfoximine Administration on Serum Glutathione Level in Pregnant and non-Pregnant Mice

Background : Buthionine sulfoximine is an agent that reduces intracellular glutathione and anti-oxidant enzymes and by this means is involved in pathology of some disease. Since low glutathione level may affect embryonic development, the aim of the present study is to investigate glutathione reduction in pregnant and non-pregnant mice.
Materials and Methods : In the present study, the mice were divided into 4 groups (10 in each group). The groups included pregnant and non-pregnant, each one consisting of a control and an experimental subgroup. The experimental groups received 2 mMol/kg buthionine sulfoximine (in the pregnant group on the 10th day of pregnancy), then 12 hours after buthionine sulfoximine injection, the mice in all control and experimental groups were killed and the blood obtained from their heart, and the glutathione level were determined and compared with each other.
Results : Glutathione level in experimental pregnant group was reduced significantly (p<0.05) in comparison with control pregnant group. In non-pregnant group, also the level of glutathione were reduced significantly (p<0.05) in comparison to control group.
Conclusion : The results indicated that buthionine sulfoximine injection could reduce glutathione level both in the pregnant and non-pregnant mice. Also the effect of buthionine sulfoximine in the pregnant group was more extensive than that of non-pregnant group.