EVALUATION OF SOME BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES IN WISTAR RATS ADMINISTERED DIFFERENT DOSES OF BENZENE

Benzene is a volatile organic compound recognized for its carcinogeniceffects in humans. This study investigated the effects of benzene exposureon lipid profile and selected biochemical parameters namely total protein,albumin, and total bilirubin in Wistar rats. A total of 40 adult male Wistarrats were randomly assigned into 10 groups, each comprising four rats.Group 1 received distilled water and served as the control, while groups 2through 9 were administered increasing doses of analytical-grade benzene at0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, and 1.8 ml/kg body weight, respectively,for a duration of 28 days. Unfortunately, animals in groups 6 to 10 did notsurvive the entire 28-day study period. Rats in groups 1 to 5 were euthanizedon day 28 under chloroform anesthesia, and blood samples were collectedvia cardiac puncture for biochemical analysis. Benzene exposure resulted ina significant (p < 0.05) increase in serum levels of total cholesterol,triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and total bilirubin, while levelsof high-density lipoprotein (HDL), total protein, and albumin weresignificantly decreased. These findings suggest that benzene adverselyaffects lipid metabolism and liver function, likely through mechanismsinvolving oxidative stress, inflammation, and hepatocellular injury.