Ameliorative Effects of Zn and Se Supplementation on Heavy Metal Mixture Burden via Increased Renal Metal Excretion and Restoration of Redoxo-Inflammatory Alterations.

Heavy metals (HM)in the environment have provoked global attention because of its deleterious effects. This study evaluated the protection offered by Zn or Se or both against HMM-induced alterations in the kidney. Male Sprague Dawley rats were distributed into 5 groups of 7 rats each. Group I served as normal control with unrestricted access to food and water. Group II received Cd, Pb, and As (HMM) per oral daily for 60 days while groups III and IV received HMM in addition to Zn and Se respectively for 60 days. Group V received both Zn and Se in addition to HMM for 60 days. Metal accumulation in feces was assayed at days 0, 30, and 60 while accumulation in the kidney and kidney weight were measured at day 60. Kidney function tests, NO, MDA, SOD, catalase, GSH, GPx, NO, IL-6, NF-Κb, TNFα, caspase 3, and histology were assessed. There is a significant increase in urea, creatinine, and bicarbonate ions while potassium ions decreased. There was significant increase in renal function biomarkers, MDA, NO, NF-Κb, TNFα, caspase 3, and IL-6 while SOD, catalase, GSH, and GPx decrease. Administration of HMM distorted the integrity of the rat kidney, and co-treatment with Zn or Se or both offered reasonable protection suggesting that Zn or Se could be used as an antidot against the deleterious effects of these metals.

Selenium and zinc alleviate hepatotoxicity induced by heavy metal mixture (cadmium, mercury, lead and arsenic) via attenuation of inflammo-oxidant pathways.

Heavy metals (HM) are believed to be injurious to humans. Man is exposed to them on daily basis unknowingly, with no acceptable protocol to manage its deleterious effects. These metals occur as mixture of chemicals with varying concentrations in our atmosphere. There are growing calls for the use of essential metals in mitigating the injurious effects induced by heavy metals exposure to man; therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of essential metals (Zinc and Selenium) in a mixture of heavy metal toxicity. In this study, except for negative controls, all other groups were treated with lead (PbCl2 , 20 mg kg-1 ); cadmium (CdCl2 , 1.61 mg kg-1 ); mercury (HgCl2 , 0.40 mg kg-1 ), and arsenic (NaAsO3, 10 mg kg-1 ) that were formed in distilled water. Pb, Cd, As, and Hg were administered as mixtures to 35, 6 weeks old rats weighing between 80 to 100 g for 60 days. Group I served as normal control without treatment, group II positive control received HM mixture, while groups III to V received HMM with Zn, Se, and Zn + Se respectively. Animal and liver weights, HM accumulation in the liver, food intake (FI), water intake (WI), liver function test, malondialdehyde (MDA), and inflammatory/transcription factor/apoptosis markers were checked. Also, antioxidant enzymes, and histological studies were carried out. Metal mixture accumulated in the liver and caused toxicities which were ameliorated by Zn and Se administration. HM caused significant decrease in FI, WI and distorted the level of liver enzymes, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, antioxidants and architecture of the liver. Co administration with Zn or Se or both reversed the distortions. This study lays credence to the evolving research on the public health implications of low dose metal mixtures and the possible ameliorative properties of Zn and Se.

Nephroprotective and Antioxidant Effects of King Tuber Oyster Medicinal Mushroom, Pleurotus tuber-regium (Agaricomycetes), on Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Male Sprague Dawley Rats.

Chronic kidney disease is a health burden worldwide but particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, with dwindling resources as a result of poor commodity export, devaluation of currencies, and corruption that had decreased the average family income and substantially increased the number of persons living on less than $1.90/day. Natural products are part of the healthcare delivery system in that part of the world. This study was conducted to evaluate the protective effects of Pleurotus tuber-regium on the kidneys of rats treated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) for 13 weeks. Sixty rats were divided into 6 groups, with 10 animals in each group. Group I (control) received olive oil (3 mL/kg) intraperitoneally twice weekly and were given feed and water ad libitum. Group II received CCl4 (3 mL/kg, 30% in olive oil) twice weekly. Groups III, IV, and V received 100, 200, and 500 mg/kg wild edible P. tuber-regium (33.3% in feed) daily, respectively, in addition to 3 mL/kg CCl4 twice weekly. Group VI received 500 mg/kg P. tuber-regium (33.3% in feed) daily. At the end of 13 weeks, the animals were sacrificed and kidney weights recorded. Serum concentrations of creatinine, urea, and fasting blood glucose were assayed. Malondialdehyde, ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, superoxide dismutase, catalase, total glutathione, and peroxidase were measured in kidney homogenate. The kidneys were also histologically examined. Administration of CCl4 to rats significantly (P < 0.05) increased the absolute and relative kidney weights from 0.93 ± 0.04 and 0.38 ± 0.02 g in the control group to 1.30 ± 0.04 and 0.58 ± 0.02 g in the treated groups (Groups III, IV, and V), respectively. CCl4 administration increased the concentrations of creatinine, urea, fasting blood glucose, and malondialdehyde from 0.53 ± 0.05 mg/dL, 17.0 ± 1.10 mg/dL, 72 ± 2.80 mg/dL, and 1.40 ± 0.32 µmol/L in the control group to 0.84 ± 0.03 mg/dL, 43.0 ± 6.90 mg/dL, 77 ± 2.2 mg/dL, and 14.0 ± 3.5 µmol/L in the treated groups, respectively. The concentrations of ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, superoxide dismutase, catalase, total glutathione, and peroxidase decreased significantly (P < 0.05) from 0.41 ± 0.02 mg/dL, 5.15 ± 0.21 µg/mL, 8.49 ± 0.38 units/mL, 75.20 ± 4.57 mU/mL, 1.62 ± 0.03 µg/mL, and 9.74 ± 0.40 mU/mL in the control group to 0.24 ± 0.03 mg/dL, 1.80 ± 0.11 µg/mL, 2.78 ± 0.30 units/mL, 31.9 ± 5.87 mU/mL, 0.36 ± 0.04 µg/mL, and 3.84 ± 0.22 mU/mL in the treated groups, respectively. Photomicrographs showed that P. tuber-regium prevented the fibrosis and tubular and Bowman capsule distortions observed in the CCl4-only group. P. tuber-regium is effective in protecting the kidneys against CCl4-induced damage.

Protective Effects of Pleurotus tuber-regium on Carbon- Tetrachloride Induced Testicular Injury in Sprague Dawley Rats.

The high rate of male infertility and the meager resources to manage same in sub Saharan Africa have necessitated the search for cost effective and available alternatives. Mushrooms have been used traditionally in folk medicine and as nutraceuticals. This study has investigated the effect of the wild mushroom Pleurotus tuber-regium on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) deleterious effects on the reproductive system of male rats. Thirty six rats were divided into six groups of six animals each. Group I (negative control) received 10 ml/kg olive oil intraperitoneal weekly in addition to feed and water ad libitum. Group II (positive control) received CCl4 10 ml/kg (30% in Olive oil) weekly. Group III, IV, and V received 100 mg, 20 0mg, and 500 mg P. tuber-regium (33.3% in feed) daily in addition to 10 ml/kg CCl4 weekly. Group VI received 500 mg P. tuber-regium (33.3% in feed) daily. After 4 weeks, sperm motility, epididymal count and vitality were determined. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA), testosterone, Luteinizing hormone (LH), Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin and oestradiol were estimated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Histopathologic examinations of the testis were carried out. Carbon tetrachloride significantly reduced the sperm motility (54.33 ± 3.79%), epididymal count (28.73 ± 2.86 × 106/ml, vitality (4.96 ± 0.62), LH (0.88 ± 0.14), FSH (2.04 ± 0.33), and Testosterone (2.02 ± 0.24) when compared with control (89.33 ± 9.01), 91.91 ± 1.92 × 106/ml, 13.12 ± 0.19, 2.74 ± 0.32, 3.64 ± 0.62, and 4.16 ± 0.23, respectively, which were reversed by P. tuber-regium administration. Co-administration of P. tuber-regium plus CCl4 significantly reduced MDA level. P. tuber-regium showed dose dependent ameliorative activity against CCl4 deleterious action on the testis and may be beneficial in the management of male infertility.