Role of Vitamin C in Attenuation of Carbon Tetrachloride Induced Toxicity in Heart of Mice

The present study is aimed at evaluating the protective effect of vitamin C on carbon tetrachloride induced toxicity in Swiss albino mice. Vitamin C is a water soluble micronutrient required for multiple metabolic functions including the activation of B vitamin, folic acid, conversion of cholesterol to bile acids and the conversion of amino acid tryptophan to the neurotransmitter serotonin. It is an antioxidant that protects body from free radicals damages. CCl4 is regarded as highly toxic. It is a known animal carcinogen and a potential human carcinogen. It is a clear, colourless, volatile heavy and nonflammable liquid which produce chemical tissue toxicity by generation of free radicals in many tissues. Mice were divided into three groups of six mice each i. e. (1) Control group (II) Mice given 1ml/kg body weight of CCl4orally (III) Mice treated with CCl4 (1ml/kg body weight) plus vitamin C (150 mg/kg body weight). Significantly increased levels of lipid peroxidation and lowered level of reduced glutathione and catalase enzymes were observed in heart of mice exposed to CCl4 when compared with normal mice heart. Histopathological changes in mice heart has been investigated under normal, CCl4 treated and CCl4 plus vitamin C treated groups. There was significantly lesser degree of damage to CCl4 plus vitamin C treated mice heart. But there was higher degree of damage to CCl4treated heart architecture.