The Protective Role of Vitamin C Against Cerebral and Pulmonary Damage Induced by Cadmium Chloride in Male Adult Albino Rat

This study was designed to examine the protective role of vitamin C (VC) against oxidative stress and morphological changes induced by chronic exposure to cadmium chloride (CdCl 2 ) in the lungs and brain. Male adult rats received CdCl 2 (5 mg/kg body weight) daily for forty days. Vitamin C (VC) at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight was given concomitantly with CdCl 2 to the rats. Three animal groups were used in this experiment (control, CdCl 2 and CdCl 2 +VC). The concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA), activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme and concentration of glutathione (GSH) were measured in the lung and brain homogenates. Also, histopathological investigations were carried out in lung and brain tissues. CdCl 2 administration significantly increased the levels of MDA and decreased the activity of SOD and GSH concentration in the lungs and brain versus those of control rats. Administration of vitamin C counteract the changes of all measured parameters and appear nearly like those of controls. Light microscopy revealed marked changes in the structure of the studied tissues of CdCl 2 administered animals. Again, vitamin C restored the damage of tissues associated with CdCl 2 administration. The present results suggest that vitamin C administration attenuated the oxidative damage and morphological changes induced by CdCl 2 in the lungs and brain of rats.