Oxidative stress response to gasoline generator exhaust emission in adult male wistar rats

Petroleum-powered generators are commonly used in many developing countries as an alternative to meet utility demands. Generator exhaust emission significantly contributes to air pollution, which remains a constant threat to human health due to the presence of aromatic hydrocarbons and other harmful gases. This study assessed oxidative stress parameters in response to exhaust emission from gasoline generator engine in adult male wistar rats. Forty-eight (48) adult wistar rats weighing between 180-200g were randomly allocated to four (4) groups (A-D) of twelve (12) rats each. After the acclimatization period, the control group (A) were kept unexposed, whereas rats in groups (C-D) were exposed daily at 2, 4, and 8-hour intervals for 4, 8, and 12 weeks, respectively. Tissue samples were obtained at four weeks intervals. Fresh lung tissues weighing 1g were rinsed twice in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, pH 8.0), homogenized and centrifuged at 3000 revolutions per minute for 20 min at 4°C. Supernatant levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-transferase (GST), reduced glutathione (GSH), nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), catalase (CAT), and total antioxidant status (TAS) were determined using standard protocols. The findings revealed elevated oxidant levels of MDA, NO, and H2O2, whereas SOD, GPX, GST, GSH, CAT, and TAS were significantly reduced across the exposure time points compared to the unexposed control rats (p < 0.05). The research findings revealed that exposure to emissions from gasoline generators induced oxidative stress in the exposed rats, with the extent of disruption to their oxidative balance dependent on the duration and length of exposure time.