Abstract
Lead is a toxic metal that induces a wide range of physiological and histological changes inhuman and animals. Oxidative damage has been the possible mechanism involved in lead toxicity. The current study was carried out to evaluate the antioxidant activities of Accacia senegel extract against leadacetate-induced hepatic injury in rats. Four groups of rats were used in this study, Control, Lead acetate(8 mg/kg body weight intraperitoneally), Accacia senegel(7.5g/kg body weight /day orally) and Accacia senegel (7.5g/kg body weight /day orally)followed by lead acetate (8 mg/kg body weight intraperitoneally) respectively.All groups received the oral treatment by stomach tube once daily for 4 weeks. Lead intoxication resulted in a significant increase inserum alanine transase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) ,alkaline phosphatase (ALP)activities,serum total cholesterol ,and triglycerides liver tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), caspase-3, malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) levels and a significantdecline of serum total proteins, liver reduced glutathione (GSH) level and catalase. The hepatocytes showed degeneration with vacuolated cytoplasm and fibrosis. The administration ofAccacia senegel extractshowed a slight improving in the activities of Catalase, a slight decreasein AST, ALP activities, NO, Triglycerides but resulted in more increase in the levels of Total proteins, MDA, TNF-a and activity of Caspase-3 while did not induce any protection against elevated levels of ALT and Total cholesterol and against damage in hepatocytes including fibrosis and apoptosis.