In this study, we investigated blood, liver and kidney levels of malondialdehyde as a marker of lipid peroxidation, and glutathione; with activities of glutathione peroxidase and catalase following prolonged low amounts administrations of some nitrosamines in rats.

Rats were divided into four groups; first group served as control. Groups 2, 3 and 4 administered orally Nitrosodiethylamine, 1-Nitrosopiperidine, N-Nitrosopyrrolidine at the amount of 200 ppb with drinking water for 30 successive days, respectively. For biochemical analyses tissue samples were collected from a total of 12 rats of each group.

Significant increases in serum, liver and kidney MDA levels, but significant decreases in GSH-Px and CAT activities were observed during nitrosamines administrations in rats according to the control group. It was found significantly increases in serum MDA levels of liver and kidney of N-NDEA treated group. These increases were determined to be respectively %91.3 and %98.7 higher than control. However, it was found that GSH-Px activity in liver treated with N-NDEA and 1-NPip decreased by %44.8 ve %38.8; CAT activities of liver and kidney in rats treated with N-NDEA decreased by %34.4 and %28.8 respectively as compared with the control. GSH levels in experimental groups were detected to decrease but, these decreases were statitically nonsignificant.

In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that prolonged administration of nitrosamine, especially N-NDEA rats increased markedly the oxidative strees by inducing lipid peroxidation in liver and to lesser extent in blood and kidney. Therefore, it is important to remind that lipid peroxidation resulting fom nitrosamine exposure of different resources particularly water cause serious health problems in human and animals and thus it requires necessary attention.