• Toxic Effects of Sodim Arsenite on Serum and Liver of Male Wista Rats
  • Zeinab Norouzi Tabrizi Nejad ,1 Mohammad Reza Dayer,2,* Mehran Dorostghoal,3
    1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science , Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
    2. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science , Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
    3. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science , Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran


  • Introduction: Arsenic is an environmental pollutant that is used in various chemical industries such as pesticides and paints. Compounds containing III and V valent Arsenic comprises one of the strongest and most abundant carcinogens found in nature with more abondonce in industrial cities. Two major sources for this carsinogen are arsenic found in the earth's crust that enters the environment by physical and chemical erosion and thats the result from manipulation in nature by human. Groundwater is one of the most important sources for Arsenic contamination in human drinking water. Arsenic contamination via food or drinking water exerts adverse effects human various organs include nervous tissue, kidney, cardiovascular, reproductive, skin. The liver is one of the first organs affected by Arsenic poison. The aim of the current work was to evaluate the effect of sodium arsenite on blood serum biochemical parameters and also on liver histology in male Wistar rats as study model.
  • Methods: Forty male Wistar rats weighing ~150±80gr were divided into 4 groups, one control group and three groups each treated with sodium arsenite 15, 25, and 50 mg/L doses of sodium arsenite during treatment periods of 105 days. Tap water and standard food with free access were used for rats fed. The rats were exposed to 22% humidity, 25°C, 12 h light and 12 h dark periods along treatment period. At the end of experiments rats were euthanized, the blood samples as well as liver and kidney samples were taken for further investigations. Statistical calculations were performed using EXCELL2003 and SPSS16 software.
  • Results: Our data in table 1 shows that sodium arsenite in different concentrations cause a significant increase in Urea to 69.6mg/dL (P-value <0.01) compared to the control group with 27.24 mg/dL concentration. Significant increase in Triglycerides, Cholesterol, Uric acid, fasting blood sugar, Creatinine, Bilirubin, and enzymes of Lactate dehydrogenase, Alanine transaminase and Creatine phosphokinase and significant decrease in Albumin and Total Protein all are indicateive of liver, kidney and pancraetice damages induced by toxice Arsenite (data not shown).
  • Conclusion: Based on our findings and as indicated by Sarma et al, sodium arsenite in defferent doses in rats affects different organs of liver, kidney, pancrease, red blood cells as well as other organs and tissues in time dependent manner and mostly disturbes their physiologic metabolism. Our results prominently revels that increased hemolysis followed by increasd bilirubin production caused by arsinite intoxication, decreasd albumin and protein biosynthesis and also increased urea and creatinine production may caused primerily liver damage or secondrily by kidney damage both induced by exposure to sodium arsinite. Accordingly through this study we can conclude that water and foods suspected for contamination by arsenic containing compounds should be avoided totally.
  • Keywords: Arsenite sodium, biochemical factors, Liver toxicity, male rat, ALT.