Protective effect of Aquilegia vulgaris (L.) against lead acetate-induced oxidative stress in rats

Food Chem Toxicol. 2009 Sep;47(9):2209-15. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2009.06.019. Epub 2009 Jun 14.

Abstract

Oxidative stress has been proposed as a possible mechanism involved in lead toxicity. The current study was carried out to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the ethanol extract of Aquilegia vulgaris (L.) against lead acetate (LA)-induced oxidative stress in male rats. Tested animals were treated orally with A. vulgaris extract (100 ppm) in combination with, before, or after LA treatment (20 ppm). The results indicated that the extract alone did not induce any significant changes in body weight gain, food intake, serum biochemical chemistry or the histological picture of the liver and kidney. However, it increased significantly the level of Glutathione (GSH). On the other hand, LA decreased food intake, body weight gain and induced oxidative stress as indicated by the significant changes in serum biochemical parameters and histological picture of liver and kidney and increased lipid peroxide and reduces GSH levels in liver tissues. The extract succeeded to improve the histological pictures of liver and kidney and the biochemical parameters towards the normal values of the control. Moreover, this improvement was pronounced in the animals treated with the extract after LA intoxication.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aquilegia / chemistry*
  • Body Weight / drug effects
  • Clinical Chemistry Tests
  • Drug Interactions
  • Eating / drug effects
  • Environmental Pollutants / toxicity*
  • Free Radical Scavengers / chemistry
  • Free Radical Scavengers / pharmacology*
  • Glutathione / metabolism
  • Kidney / drug effects
  • Kidney / metabolism
  • Kidney / pathology
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Liver / pathology
  • Male
  • Malondialdehyde / metabolism
  • Organometallic Compounds / toxicity*
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects*
  • Plant Components, Aerial / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Substances

  • Environmental Pollutants
  • Free Radical Scavengers
  • Organometallic Compounds
  • Plant Extracts
  • Malondialdehyde
  • Glutathione
  • lead acetate