The Preventive Effect of Vitamin C on Styrene-Induced Toxicity in Rat Liver and Kidney

Abstract

Background: Styrene (ST) is widely used as an organic solvent in many industrial settings. Increasing evidence indicated that ST induced toxicity in human and animals. Occupational exposure to ST can result in multiple-organ toxicity. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the preventive effect of vitamin C (Vit C) on ST- induced toxicity in rat liver and kidney. Materials and Methods: Adult male rats were pretreated with 300 mg/kg Vit C intraperitoneally. Control rats received vehicle only (distilled water, D H2O). Thirty minutes later, animals were given different doses (0, 200, 400, or 600 mg/kg) of ST. Twenty-four hours later, animals were killed and their blood samples were processed for determination of biochemical parameters. Liver damage was estimated by measuring serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. nephrotoxicity was evaluated by measuring blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (CR) concentrations. Liver and kidney tissues were removed, fixed and processed for light microscopy. Results: Styrene induced a dose-dependent elevation in the AST, ALT, ALP, BUN, and CR levels when compared to those of the control animals. The liver and kidney tissues were intact in control rats. Moreover, ST provoked a dose-dependent injury in the liver and kidney tissues. Vitamin C significantly decreased all biochemical parameters and protected liver and kidney cells against ST-induced toxicity. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that Vit C has potential to protect rat liver and kidney tissues against styrene toxicity