Fish Oil Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids Ameliorates Nephrotoxicity and Oxidative Stress Induced by Lead Exposure in Adult Male Wistar Rats

The kidneys serve as the initial storage for lead, and as such are exposed to the deleterious effect of lead. Chelators utilized in lead induced toxicity are costly and have been related with adverse side effects. Therefore, the present study evaluated the effect of fish oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids on nephrotoxicity and oxidative stress induced by lead exposure in adult male Wistar rats. Twenty adult Wistar rats were divided into four groups of five rats each. Group I served as control and received 1 ml/kg of distilled water, Group II received 5 mg/kg bwt of lead acetate only, Group III received 5 mg/kg bwt of lead acetate and 112.5 mg/kg bwt of fish oil while Group IV received 5 mg/kg bwt of lead acetate and 225 mg/kg bwt of fish oil. Body weights were taken throughout the experiment. At the end of the administration, the kidneys of the Wistar rats were excised and weighed, oxidative stress markers quantified and the kidneys were fixed in buffered formal saline, processed and stained for histological studies. The results revealed significant decrease (p

Key Words: Fish oil, Omega 3 fatty acids, lead acetate, nephrotoxicity, antioxidants