Abstract:
Increasing use and exposure to industrial gases have been implicated in adverse health
effects and toxicity. There are little or no identified therapies for toxicity associated
with exposure to industrial gases. Hence, this study evaluated the effects of exposure
to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and crude acetylene (ACT) on pulmonary and
cerebral parameters and also assesses the modulatory role of selected polyphenols in
male Wistar rats. Animals were exposed to 1000 ppm and 58000 ppm of LPG and
ACT respectively, for 10 min at 12 h intervals for 30 days. Some animals exposed to
the industrial gases also received orally administered 50 mg/kg polyphenols
(quercetin, rutin, gallic acid or tannic acid). Animals were divided into normal control
group, LPG and ACT exposed groups and groups exposed to the industrial gases as
well as treated with the polyphenols. Exposure to each gas led to cerebral and
pulmonary oxidative stress (significant (p<0.0001) decrease in catalase and
superoxide dismutase activities, as well as significant decrease in reduced glutathione
level and increased lipid peroxidation compared to the control animals), proinflammatory
events in brain and lungs (increased activity of myeloperoxidase and
levels of nitrite and Nf-kβ), stress hormone (increased level of corticosterone and
decreased level of adrenocorticotropic hormone), neurochemical imbalance
(significant (p<0.0001) increase monoamine oxidase activity and decreased activities
of acetylcholinesterase, tyrosine hydroxylase glutamate dehydrogenase, Na+ K+
ATPase, and glutamine synthetase and dopamine level) and altered cerebral and
pulmonary histoarchitecture in rats. All the polyphenols (quercetin, rutin, gallic acid
or tannic acid) remarkably ameliorated all the biochemical and histopathological
consequences of exposure to the gases. Analysis of the result showed that the activity
of tannic acid was clearly superior to that of gallic acid which may be due to the
viii
presence of more than one galloyl residue in tannic acid while quercetin exhibited
better activity compared to rutin, this may be due to the absence of hydroxyl group on
rutin which has been substituted with glycoside. Conclusively, exposure to LPG and
ACT can l Increasing use and exposure to industrial gases have been implicated in adverse health
effects and toxicity. There are little or no identified therapies for toxicity associated
with exposure to industrial gases. Hence, this study evaluated the effects of exposure
to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and crude acetylene (ACT) on pulmonary and
cerebral parameters and also assesses the modulatory role of selected polyphenols in
male Wistar rats. Animals were exposed to 1000 ppm and 58000 ppm of LPG and
ACT respectively, for 10 min at 12 h intervals for 30 days. Some animals exposed to
the industrial gases also received orally administered 50 mg/kg polyphenols
(quercetin, rutin, gallic acid or tannic acid). Animals were divided into normal control
group, LPG and ACT exposed groups and groups exposed to the industrial gases as
well as treated with the polyphenols. Exposure to each gas led to cerebral and
pulmonary oxidative stress (significant (p<0.0001) decrease in catalase and
superoxide dismutase activities, as well as significant decrease in reduced glutathione
level and increased lipid peroxidation compared to the control animals), proinflammatory
events in brain and lungs (increased activity of myeloperoxidase and
levels of nitrite and Nf-kβ), stress hormone (increased level of corticosterone and
decreased level of adrenocorticotropic hormone), neurochemical imbalance
(significant (p<0.0001) increase monoamine oxidase activity and decreased activities
of acetylcholinesterase, tyrosine hydroxylase glutamate dehydrogenase, Na+ K+
ATPase, and glutamine synthetase and dopamine level) and altered cerebral and
pulmonary histoarchitecture in rats. All the polyphenols (quercetin, rutin, gallic acid
or tannic acid) remarkably ameliorated all the biochemical and histopathological
consequences of exposure to the gases. Analysis of the result showed that the activity
of tannic acid was clearly superior to that of gallic acid which may be due to the
viii
presence of more than one galloyl residue in tannic acid while quercetin exhibited
better activity compared to rutin, this may be due to the absence of hydroxyl group on
rutin which has been substituted with glycoside. Conclusively, exposure to LPG and
ACT can lIncreasing use and exposure to industrial gases have been implicated in adverse health
effects and toxicity. There are little or no identified therapies for toxicity associated
with exposure to industrial gases. Hence, this study evaluated the effects of exposure
to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and crude acetylene (ACT) on pulmonary and
cerebral parameters and also assesses the modulatory role of selected polyphenols in
male Wistar rats. Animals were exposed to 1000 ppm and 58000 ppm of LPG and
ACT respectively, for 10 min at 12 h intervals for 30 days. Some animals exposed to
the industrial gases also received orally administered 50 mg/kg polyphenols
(quercetin, rutin, gallic acid or tannic acid). Animals were divided into normal control
group, LPG and ACT exposed groups and groups exposed to the industrial gases as
well as treated with the polyphenols. Exposure to each gas led to cerebral and
pulmonary oxidative stress (significant (p<0.0001) decrease in catalase and
superoxide dismutase activities, as well as significant decrease in reduced glutathione
level and increased lipid peroxidation compared to the control animals), proinflammatory
events in brain and lungs (increased activity of myeloperoxidase and
levels of nitrite and Nf-kβ), stress hormone (increased level of corticosterone and
decreased level of adrenocorticotropic hormone), neurochemical imbalance
(significant (p<0.0001) increase monoamine oxidase activity and decreased activities
of acetylcholinesterase, tyrosine hydroxylase glutamate dehydrogenase, Na+ K+
ATPase, and glutamine synthetase and dopamine level) and altered cerebral and
pulmonary histoarchitecture in rats. All the polyphenols (quercetin, rutin, gallic acid
or tannic acid) remarkably ameliorated all the biochemical and histopathological
consequences of exposure to the gases. Analysis of the result showed that the activity
of tannic acid was clearly superior to that of gallic acid which may be due to the
viii
presence of more than one galloyl residue in tannic acid while quercetin exhibited
better activity compared to rutin, this may be due to the absence of hydroxyl group on
rutin which has been substituted with glycoside. Conclusively, exposure to LPG and
ACT can lead to brain and lung related diseases while quercetin, rutin, gallic acid and
tannic acid exhibit both neuroprotective and pulmonoprotective effects in exposed
rats. Treatment with polyphenols may attenuate clinical abnormalities that arise from
the exposure to liquefied petroleum gas and acetylene.