Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective role of bee pollen against sodium fluoride (NaF)-induced hepatonephrotoxicity in the rat. Male Western albino rats were divided into four groups, each consisting of seven animals: (i) normal [control] group; (ii) rats treated with a chronic dose of NaF [5 mg/kg body weight (bw) for one month]; (iii) rats treated with bee pollen [250mg/kg bw for 30 days], and (iv) rats treated with bee pollen first [250 mg/kg bw for 30 days] followed by NaF [5 mg/kg bw for one month]. The level of serum electrolytes and enzymatic antioxidants in the liver and kidney were measured. We found a significant increase in magnesium (Mg) [p<0.001] whereas sodium (Na) was significantly [p<0.05] decreased in the serum of the NaF-exposed rats, as compared to the control group. Also, in the NaF-treated group, as compared to the control group, in both liver and kidney tissue, we found a significant (p<0.05) increase of lipid peroxidation and glutathione 5-transferase (GST) while, remarkably, there was a significant (p<0.05) decrease in both glutathione (GSH) and vitamin C. The bee pollen administration did not show any significant toxic or negative effects on the serum electrolytes, the liver function, or the kidney function in the rats. The changes induced in the group treated with NaF alone were, remarkably, restored in the bee pollen+NaF treatment group. Thus, bee pollen exerts a protective property by ameliorating the NaF-induced serum electrolyte changes and the NaF-induced oxidative stress in the rat.