EFFECT OF L-ASCORBIC ACID ON NICKEL-INDUCED ALTERATIONS IN SERUM LIPID PROFILES AND LIVER HISTOPATHOLOGY IN RATS Kusal K. Das, 1 Amrita Das Gupta, 1 Salim A.Dhundasi, 1 Ashok M.Patil, 2 Swastika N. Das 3 and Jeevan G.Ambekar 4 1 Department of Physiology and 2 Department of Pathology, Al-Ameen Medical College, Bijapur 586108 Karnataka, India; 3 Department of Engineering Chemistry, B.L.D.E.A's. Dr. P.G. Halakatti College of Engineering and Technology and 4 Department of Biochemistry, Sri B.M. Patil Medical College, Bijapur, 586103, Karnataka, India ABSTRACT Nickel exposure greatly depletes intracellular ascorbate and alters ascorbate-cholesterol metabolism. We studied the effect of the simultaneous oral treatment with L-ascorbic acid (50 mg/100 g body weight (BW) and nickel sulfate (2.0 mg/100 g ΒW, i.p) on nickel- induced changes in serum lipid profiles and liver histopathology. Nickel-treated rats showed a significant increase in serum low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and a significant decrease in serum high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. In the liver, nickel sulfate caused a loss of normal architecture, fatty changes, extensive vacuolization in hepatocytes, eccentric nuclei, and Kupffer cell hypertrophy. Simultaneous administration of L-ascorbic acid with nickel sulfate improved both the lipid profile and liver impairments when compared with rats receiving nickel sulfate only. The results indicate that L-ascorbic acid is beneficial in preventing nickel-induced lipid alterations and hepatocellular damage. Reprint requests to: Kusal K.Das, Professor, Department of Physiology, Al-Ameen Medical College, Bijapur-586108;K.amataka, India e-mail: kusaldas@yahoo.com © 2006 Freund Publishing House Ltd. 29 Authenticated | kusaldas@yahoo.com Download Date | 4/2/14 9:51 AM