Abstract
Lead (Pb) toxicity is one of the commonest environmental problems in our life; it causes many reversible and irreversible changes in our tissues. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of vitamin C as a natural antioxidant on the treatment of oxidative stress caused by lead poisoning in rabbits, and its ability to increase P53 without affecting Bc12 apoptosis proteins. Lead acetate [Pb(Ac)(2)] was orally administrated to rabbits for 21 days and then treated by vitamin C for another 21 days. The effect of this treatment was investigated by measuring two of the apoptosis proteins p53 and Bc12. Hemoglobin auto-oxidation rate is measured and their histopathological changes in liver, kidney and bone marrow were investigated. Our data indicate that exposure to rabbits to Pb(Ac)(2) caused significant increase of apoptosis protein p53 and decrease in the antiapoptotic BC12 proteins, where treatment with vitamin C ameliorated these effects. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2011.