Synergistic Ameliorative Capabilities of Quercetin and Ascorbic Acid on Hepatic and Pro-Inflammatory Markers of Arsenic-Induced Toxicity in Obese Wistar Rats

Abstract

Obesity and arsenic exposure have been linked to many health issues. However, arsenic poisoning severity and susceptibility may depend on Body Mass Index (BMI), oxidative state, food supplements, and other factors. This study examines how quercetin and ascorbic acid can improve arsenic-induced health dysfunctions in normal and high BMI male Wistar rats. A total of 70 male Wistar rats weighing between 135 - 220 g were divided into 10 groups. A: Control group; B: sodium arsenite group; C: quercetin + sodium arsenite group; D: ascorbic acid + sodium arsenite group; E: sodium arsenite + quercetin + ascorbic acid; F: obese group; G: obese + sodium arsenite group; H: obese + sodium arsenite + quercetin group; I: obese + sodium arsenite + ascorbic acid group; J: obese + sodium arsenite + quercetin + ascorbic acid group, all treatments were administered orally daily for twenty-eight (28) days. The doses administered were 595 mg/kg body weight of ascorbic acid (10 % LD50), 50 mg/kg body weight of quercetin (5 % LD50), and 0.75 mg/kg body weight of sodium arsenite (5 % LD50). Concentrations of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL 6), TNF-alpha (TNF-α), COX-2, nitric oxide (NO), total bilirubin (TBL) and activities of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) were determined in plasma. Upon the completion of the experiment, serum IL-1β, IL 6, TNF-α, COX-2, NO, TBL concentrations and ALP, AST, ALT, and GGT activities increased significantly (p<0.05) across the groups and treatment with quercetin and ascorbic acid ameliorated the pathological alteration elicited or caused by sodium arsenite. The findings showed that arsenic exposure altered pro-inflammatory and hepatic function indices in high BMI rats, while treatment with quercetin and ascorbic acid exhibited an ameliorative effect against this obesity and arsenic-induced health dysfunctions. Keywords: Body Mass Index, Dysfunctions, Sodium arsenite, Inflammation