Lactate and nitric oxide regulation in male Wistar rats exposed to lead
1 Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo City, Ondo State, Nigeria.
2 Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria.
Research Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2020, 07(02), 001-006
Article DOI: 10.30574/wjarr.2020.7.2.0273
Publication history:
Received on 22 July 2020; revised on 31 July 2020; accepted on 02 August 2020
Abstract:
Lead is an environmental toxicant that has been implicated in the etiology of many illnesses. It has been reported to cause the constriction of blood vessels. However, it’s not clear if this effect is exhibited by regulating the level of vasodilator substances in the blood. This study was designed to investigate the effects of lead exposure on lactate and nitric oxide regulation in male Wistar rats. Eighty (80) Wistar rats were divided into two groups of 40 rats each. Group 1 served as control and was given water while group 2 was exposed to lead acetate (1000 mg/L) for forty days. Five rats were sacrificed from each group (n=5) on days 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40. Lactate concentration was determined using spectrophotometry procedure. Nitrite concentration was estimated by using the Griess reaction. Lactate concentration increased significantly (p< 0.05) in lead acetate group compared to control in all the durations of exposure. Nitrite concentration decreased significantly (p< 0.05) in lead acetate group compared to control at days 25, 30, 35 and 40 of exposure to lead. The vasodilative effect of lactate may have been suppressed possibly by the overriding vasoconstrictive effect of lead. Lead may have also inhibited the signaling pathways responsible for the production of nitric oxide and relaxation of vascular smooth muscle which enhances blood flow and blood pressure control.
Keywords:
Lead; Lactate; Nitric oxide; Vasodilative; Vasoconstrictive
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