Results and Conclusions

Abstract

For various sets of biochemical studies, different groups comprising ten rats each were used. Rats from group I served as control, while rats of groups II, III, IV, and V were used as experimental sets. Group II rats were given 2 mg/kg body weight of methylmercury chloride for 14 days, and for the next 14 days, they were kept untreated. Animals of group III received MeHgCl (2 mg/kg body weight) for 14 days and vitamin E (100 mg/kg body weight) for the next 14 days. Group IV animals were given MeHgCl (2 mg/kg body weight) for 14 days, and for the next 14 days, they were treated with acetyl-L-carnitine (100 mg/kg body weight). Group V animals were treated with MeHgCl (2 mg/kg body weight) for 14 days, and for the next 14 days, they were given vitamin E (100 mg/kg body weight) and acetyl-L-carnitine (100 mg/kg body weight) in combination. In combined therapy, acetyl-L-carnitine was always administered at a gap of 30 min after vitamin E as per Sood et al. (1997). Methylmercury chloride and acetyl-L-carnitine were diluted in physiological saline, while vitamin E was given as such. All groups were treated once a day orally through intragastric intubation. The intake of drinking water and food by rats was examined daily, and rats were weighed every other day for weight change assessment due to toxic metal. The animals were sacrificed later on the scheduled day by cervical dislocation, and immediately brains, spinal cords, hearts, lungs, and pancreases were taken out and kept on ice. Tissues were weighed, both in control and treated animals, to observe the weight changes. Brains were separated into the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain stem. The tissues were later processed for the assay of lipid peroxidation, lipid hydroperoxidation, and protein concentration by standard methods described in detail in Methodology chapter.