Hepatoprotective effect of vitamin C on sodium nitrite-induced lipid peroxidation in albino rats

Abstract

The possible protective role of vitamin C on liver antioxidant enzymes of albino rats in sodium nitrite induced lipid peroxidation (LPO) was investigated. Sodium nitrite and vitamin C were administered orally through intragastric tube. Sodium nitrite (300 mg/kg body wt.) significantly increased the LPO and the activities of liver marker enzymes such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), acid phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and decreased the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and reduced glutathione (GSH) level in LPO-induced rats; the remarkable changes in the enzyme activities was due to hepatotoxicity of nitrite. The vitamin C (300 mg/kg body wt.) significantly decreased the LPO level and the activities of liver enzymes and increased antioxidant enzymes activities, thus exerts ameliorating effect on sodium nitriteinduced lipid peroxidation.