Toxicity of arsenic and protective role of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) was assessed on cardiac, renal and testicular biomarkers. Twenty four male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups of 6 animals each and treated as follows: Group 1: sham control, 2: arsenic control (sodium arsenite @ 10 mg/kg b. wt orally for 4 wks), 3: Pre-treatment with NAC (@ 300 mg/kg orally for 2 wks) followed by sodium arsenite along with NAC (as per above doses) and 4: Sodium arsenite + NAC (as per above doses for 4 wks).. The concentration of thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS), protein carbonyls in heart, kidney and testis were significantly (p<0.05) increased, while the concentration of reduced glutathione (GSH) in heart, kidney and testis was significantly (p<0.05) reduced in group 2 as compared to control group. Groups 3 and 4 revealed improvement in the parameters in study. In conclusion, the study revealed that arsenic induces cardiac, renal and testicular toxicity by inducing oxidative stress and supplementation of NAC is beneficial in countering the adverse effects.
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