Rutin and Vitamin E Ameliorated Neuroinflammation and Liver Function Deficits in Male Wistar Rats Co-Exposed to Manganese and Vanadium

Abstract

Heavy metal exposure remains a rising concern for the environment and workers. This is mainly due to their contribution to systemic inflammation and their adverse effects on various body organs. Despite the trace elements vanadium and manganese being essential for the body, their excessive levels beyond the body’s limits can trigger neuroinflammation and liver damage. This is mainly due to their activation of cytokines and disruption of the body’s biochemical balance. This study evaluated the effects of vanadium and manganese, both separately and in combination, on selected neuroinflammatory markers and liver function in male Wistar rats. It also evaluated the protective effects of rutin and vitamin E. Forty male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into eight groups with five rats per group: a control group, a vanadium group (3mg/kg), a manganese group (100mg/kg), a vanadium-manganese group, a rutin group (100mg/kg), a vitamin E group, a vanadium-manganese-rutin group, and a vanadium-manganese-vitamin E group. The rats were exposed to the respective substances for 28 days. Blood samples were collected from the rats and tested for the levels of IL-1, IL-6, TNF, and routine liver function parameters using one-way ANOVA with a significance level at p<0.05. Vanadium treatment increased IL-6 (14.40 ± 0.79) and TNF (8.08 ± 1.32) levels compared with the controls (p<0.05), while manganese treatment caused a relatively small effect on the rats. However, the combined treatment with metals caused significant effects on the inflammatory parameters and liver enzyme and protein levels (p<0.05). The antioxidant treatment caused a significant reduction in the levels of IL-1, IL-6, and TNF and returned the liver enzyme and protein levels to normal (p<0.05). This study showed that vanadium and manganese exposure to the body can lead to significant neuroinflammatory and liver damage. Rutin and vitamin E can protect against such damage. Antioxidant therapy can thus be a potential therapy for people exposed to heavy metals