Vitamin E attenuates liver injury induced by exposure to lead, mercury, cadmium and copper in albino mice

Abstract

Water pollution is the contamination of water resources by harmful wastes or toxins. Both community and private sources of drinking water are susceptible to a myriad of chemical contaminants. Heavy metals pollution of surface water can create health risks. The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of vitamin E supplementation on male mice exposed to a mixture of some heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium and copper) in their drinking water for seven weeks. Significant increases of blood alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) were detected in heavy metals-treated mice. Histopathologically, the liver sections from heavy metals-treated mice showed severe changes including disarrangement of hepatic strands, rupture in hepatocytes, advanced hepatocellular necrosis, dilation and congestion of blood vessels with hemorrhage, dense lymphocytic infiltration round the central vein and dark stained hepatocytic nuclei indicating cell pycnosis. Administration of vitamin E at a dose of 50 IU/kg body weight, five times weekly improved the observed biochemical and histopathological changes induced by these heavy metals intoxication. Hence, the results of this study suggest that vitamin E protects against these heavy metals-induced liver injury and the attenuating effect of vitamin E may be due to its antioxidant activity.

Keywords: Blood; Heavy metals; Liver; Male mice; Vitamin E.

Figure 1

(A–D) Levels of plasma ALT (A), AST (B), ALP (C) and GGT (D) of control, heavy metals, heavy metals plus vitamin E and vitamin E treated mice. ^∗P < 0.05: Student’s t-test, significant levels shown for difference between control and treated groups. ^∗∗P < 0.05: Student’s t-test, significant levels shown for difference between mice treated with heavy metals and heavy metals plus vitamin E or vitamin E. ^∗∗∗P < 0.05: Student’s t-test, significant levels shown for difference between mice treated with heavy metals plus vitamin E and vitamin E.

Figure 2

(A–I) Liver micrographs of control (A), heavy metals (B–F), heavy metals plus vitamin E (G and H) and vitamin E (I) treated mice. Original magnification ×400.