Mercury is considered one of the pollution problems as a toxic metal. The present study was carried out to investigate
the protective effect of L- ascorbic acid (vitamin C) against chronic mercury exposure in white New Zealand
male rabbits. The efficacy of vitamin C against induced mercury toxicity was evaluated by estimating some biochemical
parameters in both blood plasma and liver tissues. Such parameters are generally used to evaluate the individual
health status. Statistical analysis has been carried out using the SAS program.
The results indicated that inducing both low and high doses of mercury caused significant increases in blood
glucose, total lipids, triglycerides, LDL and total cholesterol, whereas these treatments caused a significant (P<0.05)
decrease in the HDL only after the long term exposure.
Values of AST , ALT ,and acid phosphatase (ACP) in plasma and liver were significantly elevated after the short
as well as the long term of treatment, while significant decreases were observed in the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and
acetyl choline esterase (AChE) activity due to the long exposure to mercury. The results of oxidative stress markers
(TBARS and GSH) showed significant hazardous effect of the mercury exposure.
Oral treatment with vitamin C decreased all the hazardous health effects caused by inducing mercuric acetate.
Accordingly, addition of ascorbic acid as an antioxidant is recommended to be included in the human diets for its efficacy
role in preventing the body from the mercury toxicity.