Protective effect of some antioxidants on the brain of adult male albino rats, Rattus rattus, exposed to heavy metals

• Main Authors: E A Amal, H M Mona
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: Rattus rattus
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.1053.2318; http://www.isisn.org/BR%206%281%29%202009/12-19%206%281%29%202009%20BR-104.pdf

Adult male albino rats were exposed to 100 mg/L of lead acetate or 100 mg/L sodium arsenate in drinking water for 3 and 6 weeks, lead and arsenic inhibit cholinesterase activity after both time intervals, with percentage reached 23% and 25% in lead and arsenic after 6 weeks, respectively. The results revealed that lead or arsenic leading to increase in relative brain weight in most of the experimental period. Using antox, (an antioxidant contains three supplementary nutritional vitamins A, C and E with rare element selenium) with lead or arsenic led to an improvement of serum cholinesterase activity in rats and also relative brain weight. Histological studies showed that lead and arsenic treated rats induced neuron injuries and change in brain cells. Rats treated with antox during administration of lead or arsenic repair some injuries of brain cells and neuron induced by lead or arsenic. Rats treated with both lead or arsenic and antox revealed an improvement in histopathological alteration induced by lead or by arsenic after 3 weeks and 6 weeks. This proved the effectiveness of antox that attributed to its antioxidant properties. In conclusion, heavy metals i.e. lead and arsenic proved severely neurotoxic and antox reduces the resulting damage probably due to its ability to neutralize free radicals that are generated by lead and arsenic.