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ABSTRACT
Mercuric chloride is an environmental pollutant that affects the nervous systems of mammals. Oxidative damage is one of the mechanisms of its toxicity, and antioxidants should mitigate this effect. A vegetable with antioxidant activity is Launaea taraxacifolia, whose ethanolic extract (EELT) was investigated in this experiment to determine its effect against mercuric chloride (MC) intoxication in rat brain. Thirty male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into five groups (n = 6) as follows: control; propylene glycol; EELT (400 mg/kg bwt) for 19 days; MC (HgCl2) (4 mg/bwt) for 5 days from day 15 of the experiment; EELT+ MC, EELT (400 mg/kg bwt) for 14 days + MC (4 mg/bwt) for 5 days from day 15 of the experiment. All treatments were administered orally by gastric gavage. Behavioral tests were conducted on the 20th day, and rats were euthanized the same day. Blood and brain tissue were examined with regard to microanatomical parameters. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance with statistical significance set at p < .05. MC induced significant (19%) reduction of thrombocytes, which was ameliorated by 57% (p < .05) by pretreatment with EELT when compared with the MC group. Behavioral results showed that MC elicited significant reduction in transitions, rearings, forelimb grip strength, and latency of geotaxis. Histologically, MC induced alterations in the microanatomy of cerebral cortex, dentate gyrus, cornu ammonis 3, and cerebellum of rats. Treatment with EELT prior to MC administration significantly reduced the effect of MC on the hematological, behavioral, and ameliorated histological alterations of the brain. These findings may be attributed partially to the antioxidant property of EELT, which demonstrated protective effects against MC-induced behavioral parameters and alteration of microanatomy of rats' cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum. In conclusion, EELT may be a valuable agent for further investigation in the prevention of acute neuropathy caused by inorganic mercury intoxication.
Acknowledgment
The authors gratefully acknowledge the valuable review of and comments on the histological slides by Professor V. O. Taiwo, head of the Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Declaration of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for funding of this research and the content and writing of the article.
About the authors
Olatunde Owoeye, PhD, is affiliated with the Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria and is interested in neuroprotection.
Ganiyu O. Arinola, PhD, is a professor in the Immunology Unit, Department of Chemical Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria and is interested in immunology.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Olatunde Owoeye
Olatunde Owoeye, PhD, is affiliated with the Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Ganiyu O. Arinola
Ganiyu O. Arinola, PhD, is a professor in the Immunology Unit, Department of Chemical Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.