Effects of Lutein on the Body Weights, Hepato-renal DNA and Antioxidant Capacity Following Paraquat-induced Toxicity in Wistar Rats

Introduction: Paraquat is a leading cause of herbicide-related fatalities worldwide. Its high mortality rate is attributed to its inherent generation of ROS-mediated toxicity, and lack of effective treatment till date. Lutein is an antioxidant with free radical scavenging ability, which may contribute to its protective effects and possible DNA preservation. Objective: The study is evaluating the effects of lutein on body weights and hepato-renal antioxidant capacity with DNA quantification following paraquat toxicity in wistar rats. Methods: Thirty-five male Wistar rats (150-180g) rats were randomly divided into five equal groups (A-E). Paraquat toxicity was induced in Groups B-E with 5mg/kg for three days. Group A received normal saline only, while Group B was given paraquat only. Thereafter, Groups C-E received varying doses of lutein (50, 100, 150mg/kg) for 21 days. Their body weights were recorded twice weekly using a digital balance. The animals were sacrificed and their liver with kidneys were excised and processed. The photomicrographs were taken at various magnifications while Image J software was employed for DNA densities. The total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was assessed by Prieto method. Results: There was significant reductions in the body weights, (p=0.00) hepato-renal DNA densities (p=0.00, p=0.01) and antioxidant capacities of the PQ-only group relative to the positive control A in both liver and kidneys (p-0.01, p=0.02). However, the lutein-treated groups had dose-dependent similar features with the control, which had normal histo-morphological feature. The highest dose of lutein showed the best correlation with the control. Conclusion: This study showed significant alterations in body weights, hepato-renal DNA densities and antioxidant capacities especially in the PQ-only group. Meanwhile, the lutein-treated groups, especially at high dosages, showed significant improvements in the indices similar to the control. Hence, lutein may be a useful agent for attenuating paraquat toxicity.