Cardiac toxicity of heavy metals (cadmium and mercury) and pharmacological intervention by vitamin C in rabbits

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2020-08, Vol.27 (23), p.29266-29279
• Main Authors: Ali, Shaukat, Awan, Zubia, Mumtaz, Shumaila, Shakir, Hafiz Abdullah, Ahmad, Farooq, Ulhaq, Mazhar, Tahir, Hafiz Muhammad, Awan, Muhammad Siddique, Sharif, Saima, Irfan, Muhammad, Khan, Muhammad Adeeb
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accumulation; Aquatic Pollution; Ascorbic acid; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biochemistry; Body weight; Cadmium; Cadmium chloride; Calcium-binding protein; Chloride; Cholesterol; Creatine; Creatine kinase; Density; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Heart; Heavy metals; High density lipoprotein; Kinases; Lipoproteins; Low density lipoprotein; Mercuric chloride; Mercury; Mercury (metal); Mercury compounds; Metals; Parameters; Rabbits; Research Article; Supplements; Toxicity; Troponin; Troponin T; Vitamin C; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-09011-9

Mercury and cadmium are highly dangerous metals that can lead to disastrous effects in animals and humans. The aim of the current research was to elucidate the poisonous effects of mercuric chloride and cadmium chloride individually and in combination on biochemical profiles of plasma and their accumulation in heart. The therapeutic effect of vitamin C against these metals in rabbits was also studied. Mercuric chloride (1.2 μg/g), cadmium chloride (1.5 μg/g), and vitamin C (150 μg/g of body weight) were orally given to treatment groups of the rabbits (1—control; 2—vitamin; 3—CdCl 2 ; 4—HgCl 2 ; 5—vitamin + CdCl 2 ; 6—vitamin + HgCl 2 ; 7—CdCl 2 + HgCl 2 , and 8—vitamin + CdCl 2 + HgCl 2 . After the biometric determination of all intoxicated rabbits, biochemical parameters, viz low-density lipoproteins (LDL), high-density lipoproteins (HDL), cholesterol, creatine kinase, and troponin T (TnT) were analyzed using available kits. Levels of cholesterol (0.7 ± 0.1 mmol/l), creatine kinase (2985.2 ± 11 IU/L), LDL (20.35 ± 1.31 mg/dl), and troponin T (1.22 ± 0.03 μg/l) were significantly ( P