Abstract

MELATONIN MODULATES MERCURY INDUCED OXIDATIVE STRESS IN RAT LIVER

Tapan A. Patel* and Mandava V. Rao

Abstract

Objective: The present work was aimed to assess the beneficial effect of melatonin against mercury induced oxidative stress in rat liver. Methods: Rats were divided into five groups and treated for 60 days. Group 1 served as control. Group 2 & 3 animals were treated with mercuric chloride (2 & 4mg/kg BW) orally. Group 4 animals were treated with melatonin (5mg/kg BW) intraperitoneally and Group 5 animals received melatonin with HgCl2. Various antioxidant indices assayed were superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathiones- transferase (GST), thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), total -SH, glutathione (GSH), protein carbonyl (PC), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and total ascorbic acid (TAA). Results: Treatment of HgCl2 caused significant (P

Keywords: Melatonin, mercuric chloride, oxidative stress, hepatotoxicity, rat.