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<0.05) in body weight gain and antioxidants and distortion of the cytoarchitecture of the kidneys of Wistar rats in lead only treated groups when compared to the Control and the Groups co-administered lead acetate and increasing doses of fish oil. Fish oil was able to ameliorate nephrotoxicity and oxidative stress by scavenging for free radical, increasing body weight gain and protecting against distortion of the cytoarchitecture of the kidney.

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