SODIUM SELENITE ABROGATES THE EFFECTS OF ARSENIC TOXICITY ON ORGAN INJURY BIOMARKERS IN THE BLOOD

Abstract

Heavy metals are becoming ubiquitous in our environment due to its natural abundance and anthropogenic uses. Arsenic an example of heavy metal, can cause deleterious effects in numerous organs and biochemical pathways. Use of noninvasive testing procedures had been used in diagnosis, monitoring of pathological events during treatment. In order to investigate the effects of sodium selenite on biomarkers of organ injury in arsenic-exposed rats for a period of 5 weeks, twenty-four male albino rats divided into four groups (n = 6) were exposed to sodium arsenite (SA) and sodium selenite (SS). Group I (control) received only distilled water, groups II and III were exposed to 40 ppm SA in drinking water ad libtum, in addition group III received 0.25 mg/kg bwt SS orally and group IV received 0.25 mg/kg bwt SS orally only. Activities and levels of organ-injury markers were determined in the blood using spectrophotometric method. In the SA exposed group (group II), there were significant increases (p Ë‚ 0.05) in the activities of plasma xanthine oxidase, lactate dehydrogenase, aldolase, glutamate dehydrogenase, NAD glycohydrolase, aspartate and alanine aminotransferases, and levels of plasma nitric oxide and hydrogen sulphide (in plasma and erythrocyte) when compared to control. Sodium selenite administration abrogated the observed effects of SA exposure by decreasing the measured biomarkers to the normal level as observed in group III and IV. In conclusion, this results suggests the use of SS is safe and non-invasive approach for the prevention of SA-induced toxicity in humans.