The protective effect of vitamin E on thallium acetate induced hepatic and renal toxicity in male laboratory rats

Abstract

The present work was designed to make knowledge about the protective effect of vitamin E in case of thallium acetate toxicity. Determination of LD50 for thallium acetate was done according to probit method and the result was (LD50 20 mg/ kg b.w.). A total of 90 experimentally male rats of approximately same age 6-7 weeks and body weight from 150-250 gms divided equally into 6 groups and treated for two months as follows: the first group was administered orally with thallium acetate at dose of 0.080 mg/ kg B.W., the second group was administered orally thallium acetate at dose of 0.160 mg kg B.W., the third group was administered orally with vitamin E 40 mg/ k.g B.W. and thallium acetate 0.080 mg/ kg B.W., the fourth group was administered orally with vitamin E 40 mg/ k.g B.W. and thallium acetate 0.160 mg/ kg B.W, the fifth group was administered orally with vitamin E 40 mg/ k.g B.W, the sixth group served as a control was administered orally with distilled water. The main clinical signs observed in the toxic groups were alopecia, piloerection and ocular opacity in addition to vomiting (sometimes bloody), mild diarrhea, shortness of breath, aggression, hyperactivity and lack of appetite. The severity of the signs was increased with time of exposure. During the experimental periods (20, 40, 60 day) five animals from each groups were sacrified. Blood collection was done by direct cardiac puncture for hematological and biochemical examination. The results of biochemical parameters showed significant increased in ALT, AST, ALP, creatinine and urea. The pathological study showed that thallium acetate toxicity causes deleterious pathological changes with the formation of hyperplasic nodules in the liver. Supplemented groups with vitamins E showed improvement in all studied parameters with increase in the cellular immune response. It was concluded that oral exposure of thallium acetate in rat causes severe toxicopathological changes with precancerous lesions in the liver. Supplementation of vitamin E induced protective effects against thallium acetate toxicity in all of above studied parameters.

Keywords

male rats, vitamin E