Abstract
Deltamethrin (DLM) is a synthetic pyrethroid with anti-acaricide and insecticidal properties. It is commonly used in agriculture and veterinary medicine. Humans and animals are exposed to DLM through the ingestion of polluted food and water, resulting in severe health issues. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a prodrug of L-cysteine, the precursor to glutathione. It can restore the oxidant-antioxidant balance. Therefore, this research aimed to examine whether NAC may protect broiler chickens against oxidative stress, at the level of biochemical and molecular alterations caused by DLM intoxication. The indicators of liver and kidney injury in the serum of DLM-intoxicated and NAC-treated groups were examined. Furthermore, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant markers, superoxide dismutase activity, and apoptotic gene expressions (caspase-3 and Bcl-2) were investigated. All parameters were significantly altered in the DLM-intoxicated group, suggesting that DLM could induce oxidative damage and apoptosis in hepato-renal tissue. The majority of the changes in the studied parameters were reversed when NAC therapy was used. In conclusion, by virtue of its antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties, NAC enabled the provision of significant protection effects against DLM-induced hepato-renal injury.