Abstract

THIMEROSAL IN H1N1 VACCINE-INDUCED OXIDATIVE STRESS AND APOPTOSIS IN BRAIN OF ADULT MICE

*Abdel Moneim A.E.

ABSTRACT

Recently the safety of thiomersal, an ethyl mercury moiety attached to the sulfur atom of thiosalicylate containing preservative used in vaccines including H1N1 vaccine, has been questioned due to exposure of infants during immunization. To investigate the oxidative stress and apoptosis induced after H1N1 vaccine injection, adult male Swiss mice were injected with H1N1 antigen, adjuvant, thiomersal and H1N1 vaccine. Results obtain on the present study showed that thiomersal, H1N1 antigen and H1N1 vaccine were caused significant increase in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, reactive oxygen species (ROS), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and carbonyl protein (CPO) levels of brain. The elevation in oxidative stress markers was associated with significant decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities. Immunohistochemical investigation for BAX showed that there was more immunoreactivity on the brain indicating the induction of apoptosis. Taken together these findings suggest that H1N1 vaccine as a whole and/or its ingredient caused oxidative stress and apoptosis on brain of mice. The present observation could be due to the presence of thiomersal.

Keywords: H1N1 vaccine; Thiomersal; Oxidative stress; Apoptosis; Immunohistopathology.