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There was investigated the effect of chronic Cr (VI) on the content of chromium, iron, copper; zinc, nickel in the blood of rats and activity of antioxidant enzymes of erythrocytes in Wistar rats. The chromium concentration has been shown to increase multifold while the level of other metal is more or less declining. Also it was found a decrease in the activity of such antioxidant enzymes as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and the activation of the processes of free radical oxidation. Thus, it can be assumed that the effect of Cr (VI) is implemented via an imbalance of trace elements and the activation of the processes of free radical oxidation.

The impact of long-term intake of drinking water containing the high level of chromium and benzene or their mixture on navigation learning and long-term spatial memory was studied in a Morris water maze. The chronic neurotoxic effect of benzene was characterized by worse long-term memory, which upon its exposure in combination with chromium remained unchanged and failed to block the realization of a positive effect of chromium on the mechanism of navigation learning.

The effects of potassium bichromate, benzene, and their mixture on cell immunological parameters and the blood content of trace elements were studied in Wistar rats. Oral administration of benzene, potassium bichromate, and their mixture to Wistar rats was found to result in reductions in cell immunological parameters (the count of leukocytes, thymocytes, splenocytes, myelokaryocytes, the level of phagocytic indices) and the levels of copper, iron, nickel, and, on the contrary, increases in the concentrations of zinc and chromium in blood.

The paper describes chromium- and molybdenum-induced digestive functional changes and shows that there is a relationship of the presence, nature, and the degree of manifestation of their effect to the type of a metal, its dose, and the route of administration.