Role of vitamin C in mitigating lead-induced hepatotoxicity in male albino rats

Purpose: To investigate the adaptive role of vitamin C (VC) against lead-induced hepatotoxicity in male albino rats. Methods: Twenty-four male albino rats were randomly assigned to four treatment groups, with each group consisting of six animals, following a completely randomized design. Animals in group I served as the control. Group II was administered 60 mg/kg body weight (BW) of Pb acetate, group III was administered 100 mg/kg BW of VC, while group IV was treated with 60 mg/kg BW of Pb acetate and VC at 100 mg/kg BW. The animals were treated orally for 65 days. Twenty-four hours after treatment, changes in body weight, liver enzymes and histopathological parameters were compared. Results: Results showed a significant reduction in the body weight of Pb-exposed animals when compared with control group (p < 0.05). The level of Pb residue was significantly higher in the liver of rats administered solely with Pb when compared with the control animals and other treatment groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, Pb-treated animals showed liver histopathological changes such as injured hepatocytes and cytoplasmic swellings which suggest inflammation, in comparison with animals in control group. Notably, vitamin C administration mitigated Pb-induced effects across all evaluated parameters. Conclusion: The results provided evidence of the adaptive potential of VC in mitigating Pb-induced hepatotoxicity in male albino rats.