ABSTRACT
Background: purification of drinking and waste water needs acrylamide which is also used in sprays, paper and pulp industry and soil stabilizers, so it has a significant risk for our health.
Objective (Aim): studying the possible protective role of N- acetyl cysteine against hepatotoxic effect of acrylamide.
Material and methods: randomly divided forty male albino rats into four equal groups (10 rats each) were used: group I (control group), group II (sham control), group III (acrylamide-treated group): receiving 50 mg/kg body weight acrylamide by an oral gavage daily for 21 successive days.
Group IV (acrylamide and N-acetyl cysteine treated group) was received 50 mg/kg body weight acrylamide and 150 mg/kg body weight N-acetyl cysteine both by an oral gavage daily for 21 successive days
Results: Group III showed disrupted hepatic architecture in comparison with the groups I, II, and marked degenerative changes especially at portal triads, as well as in form of dilated sinusoids, pyknotic nuclei and Ito cells. Group IV showed restoration of the normal hepatic architecture seen in control groups with improvement of the degenerative changes.
Conclusions: Antioxidant effect of N-acetyl cysteine reduces the oxidative stress of acrylamide and decreasing its hepatotoxic effects.