Changes in erythrocyte membrane properties following exposure to premium motor spirit (petrol vapour) and modulatory effects of moringa oleifera and vitamin c in wistar rats

Abstract

Background: The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of petrol vapour on properties of Erythrocyte: osmotic fragility(EOF), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and red cell indices as well as the comparative beneficial effect of Moringa oleifera and Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) on the values.

Methods: Forty adult male Wister rats randomly divided to four with ten rats in a group. Group 1: control, was given water and feed ad-libitum without any treatment. Group 2 (petrol only) were exposed to petrol vapour only without any pretreatment. Group 3 (Vit C group) pretreated wit Ascorbic acid (100mg/kg) before exposure to petrol vapour; and group 4 were (Moringa group) were pretreated with Moringa oleifera extract (40mg/kg) before exposure to petrol vapour. The exposure to petrol vapour was done 10 minutes every day for eight weeks. Exposure to petrol fume was generated by using human compressor nebulizer adopted for rats and connected to fume chamber where the rats were kept. The pretreatment was effected by gavage using the oral cannula, 30 minutes before exposure. At the end of the exposure, period 0.2ml of blood samples obtained from individual rat in each group were suspended in separate sets of Phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solution of decreasing concentrations to evaluate erythrocyte osmotic fragility (EOF). RBC, PCV and Hb were analyzed from heparinised blood sample. The red cell indices were thereafter calculated. 1.2ml of blood kept inside sodium oxalate bottle was suspended in the Westergren tube for one hour.

Results: There was significant increase in the fragility of the group exposed to petrol vapour only compared with control and the pre-treated groups. There was zero sedimentation with little or no rouleaux of the erythrocyte in the petrol only group compared with control. There was sedimentation with rouleaux formation in the control, Moringa and vitamin C groups, the difference was however not significant (p>0.05).

Conclusion: The study concluded that Erythrocytes membrane became more fragile on exposure to petrol vapour, The degree of amelioration shown by pretreatment with Moringa oleifera was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of Ascorbic acid. Moringa oleifera was found to be more effective in protecting the erythrocyte properties following exposure to petrol vapour than vitamin C.

Keywords: Erythrocyte osmotic Fragility, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate, Moringa oleifera, Ascorbic acid