Asian Journal of Research and Reports in Hepatology

Effects of Vitamin E on Liver Function of Paraquat Exposed Wistar Rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Benjamin Nnamdi Okolonkwo *

Department of Medical Laboratory Science, PAMO University of Medical Sciences, Nigeria.

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

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Abstract

Paraquat is a weed killer used by farmers to protect their crops against evasive weed and increase crop yields. Paraquat has the feature for quick absorption into the body and being extremely toxic, it causes damages to the liver, kidney, and the lungs by releasing free radicals, NF-_KB activation, and apoptosis in many cells. The study used 200 male albino rats with a mean weight of 0.20±02kg in an experimental study. The 200 rats were placed into four groups, each with 50 rats. A, B, C, and D were the four groups. The "A" group was given no paraquat, whereas the "B," "C," and "D" groups were given 0.02g, 0.04g, and 0.06g of paraquat per kilogram of rat, respectively, every two weeks for three months. There were subgroups within each of the primary categories. "A₀" and "A_VE" subgroups existed in the "A" group; "B₀" and "B_VE" subgroups existed in the "B" group; "C₀" and "C_VE" subgroups existed in the "C" group; and "D₀" and "D_VE" subgroups existed in the "D" group. Vitamin E was not given to the "A₀," "B₀," "C₀," and "D₀" subgroups, but it was given to the "A_VE," "B_VE," "C_VE," and "D_VE" subgroups every week for one month after paraquat induction. Blood was obtained and tested for liver function. Apart from A₀ group which is the control group, B₀, C₀, and D₀ being the paraquat treated groups, as well as the B_VE, C_VE, and D_VE vit. E treatment subgroups had a statistically significant difference, p-value≤0.05, in SGOT, SGPT, ALP, and GGT, an outcome which confirmed the toxicity of paraquat and the ameliorative effect of vit. E. The results showed that vitamin E therapy is potent against paraquat induced toxicity on liver enzymes on a one-month treatment basis.

Keywords: Paraquat, toxicity, liver, vitamin E

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