Zinc Supplementation Reverses Lead-Induced Anxiety-Like Behaviour and Social Deficits in Male Wistar Rats

作者

  • Wahab Imam Abdulmajeed Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
  • Aishat Abidemi SULEIMAN Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
  • Semiat Abidemi ISMAIL Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
  • Fathia Oluwadamilare AJADI Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
  • Tolulope Miracle SANNI Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
  • Tayyib Adekunle ADEDEJI Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
  • Aminu IMAM Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
  • Abdulbasit AMIN Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin
  • Mary DADA Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
  • Moshood BOLAJI Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
  • Abdul-Musawwir ALLI-OLUWAFUYI Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
  • Aboyeji Lukman OYEWOLE Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
  • Halimat Amin ABDULRAHIM Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
  • Victor Bamidele OWOYELE Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54548/

摘要

Lead is a highly pervasive environmental toxin that exerts harmful effects on the body systems, especially the nervous system. Zinc is an essential trace element that has been found in eukaryotic cells. Lead has a serious neurotoxic effect via mechanisms such as disruption of the antioxidant defense system and activation of inflammatory mediators (Ramírez Ortega et al., 2021; Virgolini & Aschner, 2021). Despite the extensive knowledge on the neurotoxic effects of lead, effective interventions in mitigating its effects are limited. This study aims to assess the effects of zinc supplementation on lead-induced neurotoxicity in male Wistar rats. Twenty-one male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to three groups with seven rats in each group. Group I served as the control; group II, the lead-treated group, received 0.5% of lead in drinking water for 4 weeks; group III, Pb + Zn group, received 0.5% of lead in drinking water and 25 mg/kg of Zinc supplement by oral gavage for 4 weeks. Behavioral assessments were conducted using the Open Field Test (OFT), Elevated Plus Maze (EPM), and three-chamber sociability test to evaluate anxiety and social behavior. Biochemical and hematological analyses were performed to determine the serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and TNF-α), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), hematological indices, and electrolytes. The results revealed a significant increase in anxiety and a decrease in social behavior in the Pb-only group. Biochemically, there was a marked elevation in IL-1β and TNF-α, with a significant reduction in TAC in these rats. No marked changes were, however, observed in the serum electrolyte levels across all experimental groups. Contrastingly, zinc supplementation effectively ameliorated these effects. Rats in the Pb + Zn group demonstrated improved neurobehavioral outcomes, decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, restored antioxidant capacity, and increased Neutrophil to Lymphocytes Ratio (NLR). These findings suggest that zinc confers neuroprotective effects against lead-induced neurotoxicity, likely by modulating oxidative stress and suppressing inflammatory and neuroimmune responses.

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已出版

2025-12-31

期次

卷 40 期 2 (2025): December issue

栏目

Full Length Research Articles

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Zinc Supplementation Reverses Lead-Induced Anxiety-Like Behaviour and Social Deficits in Male Wistar Rats. (2025). Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences, 40(2). https://doi.org/10.54548/

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