EFFECTS OF SELENIUM AND VITAMIN B6 WITH THEIR COMBINATION IN LEAD ACETATE INDUCED TOXICITIES IN LONG EVANS RATS

Abstract

The experiment was performed on 75 long Evans male rats (Rattus norvegicus), weighing about 145 -170 gm, maintained under standard laboratory condition on pellet diet and drinking water ad libitum. All the rats were randomly divided into five equal groups. Each group comprised of fifteen (15) rats and were marked as group A, B, C, D and E. Group A without treatment, group B lead acetate alone @ 20 mg/kg b.wt., group C lead acetate @ 20 mg/kg b.wt. plus sodium selenite 5 ml (from a stock solution 1.5 mg diluted in 1 litre distilled water), group D lead acetate @ 20 mg/kg b.wt. plus vitamin B6 45 mg/kg b.wt., group E lead acetate @ 20 mg/kg. b.wt. plus sodium selenite 5 ml (from a stock solution 1.5 mg diluted in 1 litre distilled water) plus vitamin B6 45 mg/kg b.wt. All treatments were given once daily for 28 consecutive days. In the present study, the effect of sodium selenite and vitamin B6 in lead induced toxicities in rats were observed. Toxic signs and body weight change, haematological parameters like Total Erythrocyte Count (TEC), Total Leukocyte Count (TLC), hemoglobin content (Hb%) and Packed Cell Volume (PCV), biochemical parameters such as Serum Glutamate Pyruvate Transaminase SGPT/ALT, Serum Glutamate Oxaloacetate Transaminase (SGOT/AST) and postmortem changes in rats were investigated. Rats treated with lead acetate showed severe toxic signs and significantly (p< 0.01) reduced TEC, TLC, Hb% and PCV. Significant (p< 0.01) elevation of SGPT and SGOT were also found. But rats treated with lead acetate along with sodium selenite and vitamin B6 showed almost normal levels of haematological and biochemical parameters. Lead acetate produces congestion and necrosis in liver, spleen and kidney, whereas simultaneous use of lead acetate, sodium selenite and vitamin B6 recovered the condition. From this experiment it is revealed that combine use of sodium selenite and vitamin B6 is highly protective against lead toxicity. DOI = 10.3329/bjvm.v8i1.8352 Bangl. J. Vet. Med. (2010). 8(1): 63-73