Numéro de la revue: Volume 29 , Numéro 2
Auteurs: Racha Kouadria, Djazia Khaldoun Afaf Beloucif and Zine Kechrid*
Laboratory of Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Annaba, Annaba, Algeria
ABSTRACT
The nickel is an environmental harmful, which is able to induce severe medical problems and cancergenic effects. Vitamin C is a naturally occurring organic compound with antioxidant properties. Vitamin C can reduce and neutralize reactive oxygen species. Thus, this study was aimed to search the probability protective effect of this vitamin on certain physiological and biochemical hepatic parameters in rats exposed to nickel toxicity. Rats were divided into four groups (six each). Group 1 served as control group and the other three experimental groups received vitamin C (1g/L), nickel (800mg/L) and vitamin C with nickel in their drinking water respectively. Body weight, and food intake and water consumption were measured and the treatment lasted for three weeks.
According to the results obtained, a decrease in body weight and a rise in liver weight were observed. These findings indicated also variation in biochemical hepatic parameters including an increase in bilirubin concentration and the activities of AST, ALT and Alkaline phosphatase. Whereas, the administration of vitamin C brought all the previous parameters to their normal values.
This research indicated that nickel led to hepatotoxicity via oxidative stress. However, the supplementation of vitamin C treated the previous parameters. Therefore, the findings confirmed that vitamin C had a powerful effect against nickel toxicity through its antioxidant capacity.
Keywords:
nickel, vitamin C, oxidative stress, antioxidant, liver, rats.