Protective Effect of Vitamin C on Carbon Tetrachloride Administered Toxicity in Lungs of Mice

The present study is undertaken to examine the protective mechanism of vitamin C in lung tissue in the intoxicated mice. Here, lung toxicity was induced by administering dose of CCl4 in experimental adult balb-c mice and radical scavenging activity of the vitamin C was evaluated by measuring the levels of GSH and lipid peroxidation in lung tissue homogenates via GPx. Mice were divided into three groups. Mice of first group served as control (group 1) received saline solution, CCl4 group (Group 2) received CCl4 orally at a dose level of 1ml/kg body weight mixed in olive oil and vitamin C + CCl4 group (group 3) received vitamin C (150mg/kg body weight) with CCl4 for different experimental stages. After each experimental stage, lung tissue were employed for histological and biochemical studies. Results showed that Vitamin C prevented the lung against the oxidizing effects of CCl4 by decrease in glutathione peroxidase activity and levels of reduced glutathione. The histopathological damage of the lung and peroxidation of membrane lipids was significantly prevented by vitamin C treatment as compared to CCl4 alone treatment.