EFFECT OF POTASSIUM NITRATE POISONING ON SOME BLOOD SERUM BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN RATS

M B Mahmood ,O H Azeez ,Jihan Hassan

doi:10.21608/avmj.2014.170448

Abstract

The present study was conducted to investigate the toxicity of potassium nitrate on blood serum glucose, cholesterol levels, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity levels, and the possible ameliorative effect of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). Male Wister rats are used as experimental model divided into three groups (each of 6-8 rats) and treated for six weeks as follows: Group 1 : served as control: Group 2 : received 2 % potassium nitrate added to the concentrated forage and Group 3 : received 2 % potassium nitrate together with 1 % ascorbic acid added to rat’s concentrat forage. Nitrate treatment in group 2 leads to high significant increase in serum levels of glucose on 3rd, 4th, and 5th weeks, cholesterol level increased significantly on both 4th and 5th weeks, while ALT activity levels increased on the 4th, 5th and 6th weeks, and AST increased significantly on the 5th and 6th weeks. Addition of ascorbic acid with potassium nitrate, lead to reverse all the parameters nearly to normal. It was concluded that potassium nitrate causes significant toxic effect on some blood serum biochemical parameters which were ameliorated by ascorbic acid.

Highlights

Nitrate poisoning has been recorded in several studies (Muslih, 1991) and it can occur in all animals (Jan et al, 2009)
A previous study indicate that nitrate poisoning cause decrease levels of glucose and alkaline phosphatase in sheep (Majid, 1996), while in study of (Al-kafajii, 1996) in sheep reported an increase in ALT, AST, AP, and glucose
When ascorbic acid was added at a dose 1 % to the diet containing nitrate 2 %, all parameters reverse nearly to the normal when compared with control, so there are no significant increase on all parameters (Table 1-4)

Summary

Introduction

Nitrate poisoning has been recorded in several studies (Muslih, 1991) and it can occur in all animals (Jan et al, 2009). Nitrate is reduced to nitrite before ingestion in saliva and in the gastrointestinal tract (Kyriakidis et al, 1997 and Jan et al, 2009). In ruminants such as cattle, sheep and goat, the conversion of nitrate to nitrite is carried out by rumen bacteria (Chemlnitskii et al, 1987). A previous study indicate that nitrate poisoning cause decrease levels of glucose and alkaline phosphatase in sheep (Majid, 1996), while in study of (Al-kafajii, 1996) in sheep reported an increase in ALT, AST, AP, and glucose. (Boukereche, 2007) reported that an increase in levels of glucose, cholesterol, creatinine levels, lactate dehydrogenase, AST, and ALT activity levels in rats

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Conclusion