الفهرس 
Chapter IOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 308 |  |  |
| | | from | 308 | | |
Abstract
Arsenic (As) is ubiquitous environmental neurotoxin, which is involved in causing wide range of neurological complications such as impaired memory, Alzheimer’s disease, poor concentration, Parkinson’s disease. In the present study, a chronic arsenic-induced model of neurodegeneration was used to investigate the role of oxidative stress and the status of antioxidant system in the management of sodium arsenate (Na2AsO4.7H2O) induced neurotoxicity and further to elucidate the neuro-protective effect of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGB) and/or Trifolium pretense (Red clover) on animal performance in the behavioral tasks as Morris Water Maze (MWM), Passive avoidance test and novel object recognition (NOR), in addition to hematological parameters, some biomarkers of oxidative stress, brain function enzymes, plasma lipid profile, total protein concentration, intensity of TNF-α, brain vasculature alteration by scanning electron microscope, histopathological and fluorescence alterations in adult male rats which were intoxicated by Na2AsO4.7H2O.
Thirty adult male Sprague Dawley rats were divided randomly into five equal groups and treated orally by gavage for 12 weeks as follows: group I: Negative control was received distilled water and saline; group II was treated with Na2AsO4.7H2O only (5 mg/kg BW (1/10 LD50)/day); group III, IV and V were treated with EGB (100 mg/ kg), T. pretense (250mg/ kg ) and EGB + T. pretense in-combination with Na2AsO4.7H2O, respectively with those a previous mentioned doses. At the end of the experimental period, whole blood, plasma samples and brain regions (cerebral cortex, hippocampus, striatum and hind brain) and spinal cord were collected to evaluate hematological, biochemical and molecular alterations as well as, histological, fluorescence and brain vasculature examination of all studied groups.
In comparison with normal control group, Na2AsO4.7H2O administration showed a delay in the latency time in both MWM and Passive avoidance test as well as, in the preference ratio of NOR. Significant decreased in final body weight, body weight gain, brain weight, red blood corpuscular (RBCs) counts, hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (Ht) concentrations, lymphocyte, white blood cells (WBCs), platelet counts and an increase in plasma, cortical, hippocampal, striatal, hind brain and spinal cord thiobarbituric acid-reactive.