Biochemical Changes in the Serum and Liver of albino rats exposed to Petroleum Samples (gasoline, kerosine, and crude Petroleum)

Biochemical changes in the serum and liver of albino rats chronically exposed to rats administered 5gk , 7.5gk and 15gk of gasoline , kerosine and crude petroleum(bonny light) respectively were studied. The petroleum samples were administered intraperitoneally and the biochemical changes in the rat serum and the liver wree monitored over a three monthduration:Asparate amino transferase (AST) Alanine amino transferas (ALT) and Alkaline Phosphate (ALP) all showed dosedependent increase in levels from zero month to 3 month, gasoline from 19.0 ± 2.8 of control to 69.0 ±12.8 third month kerosine 19.0 ±2.8 control to 58±5.0 third month and crude Petroleum 19.0±2.8 control to 33.2 ± 1.3 at the third month. Alanine amino transferase increase from 12.0 ± 1.1 of control to 62.0 ± 6.0 at the third month with gasoline, also from 12+ 1.1 of control to 29.7 + 5.6 in the third month with kerosene and from 12.0 ± 1.1 of control to 27. ± 3.1 at the third month with crude petroleum. Furthermore, the alkaline phosphatase increase from 62.1 ± 3.0 μ/l control to 161.0 ± 2.0 at the third month for gasoline, kerosene from 62.1 ± 3.0 of control to 123.6 ± 12.6μ/l at the third month, with crude petroleum (bonny light) increasing from 62.1 ± 3.0 μ/l of control to 90.5± 6.3 μ/l at third month. Glutathione transferase (GST) was marginally increase in gasoline treated rats from 13.0 ± 0.8 μ/l of control to 17.0 ± 1.0 u/l however, greater elevation in level of the enzyme was obtained in kerosene treated rats from 13.0 ± 0.8 μ/l of control to 25.2 ± 2.0 μ/l at the third month. Finally the reducedglutathione (GSH) seemed to be depleted from 0.56 ± 0.1 mM of control to 0.43 ± 0.1 at the third month with gasoline, 0.30 ± 0.1 mM at the third month with kerosene and 0.41 ± 0.1 mM at the third month with crude petroleum (bonny light). In conclusion the petroleum sample caused biochemical changes in the serum andliver of the rats. @ JASEM The importance of detoxification of exogenous compounds including petroleum products is under scored by the ever increasing number of environmental and other chemical substances to which the body is exposed. Detoxification is a process where by atoxic substance is inactivated subsequentto its removal from the body, is primarilly a hepatic and a renal function (Derek and Ewart, 1980). Report of Derek and Ewart 1990, indicated that endogenous ane exogenous substances undergo hepatic conjugation to facilitate its excretion.Repot of Patric and Mc Gee, 1988 also indicated that the liver has a valuable role in the detoxification of many substances:Report of et al , 1983 has shown that glutathione (GSH) a tripeptide containing Lglutamic acid, and glycine is employed in detoxification reactions. Report of Martin et al, 1983 further indicated that a large reserve of GSH is represented in the hepatocytesto meet demands of utilizationin detoxification. Hatchcrot, (1982) had report glutathione – s – transferase as the enzyme which function as cellular protective enzyme, which catalyses the nuetralization of the chemically reactive intermidiate by coupling with glutathione resulting in the formation of usually non-reactive conjugated products.Where by the rate of production of the metabolite exceeds the availability of glutathione, hepatotoxiciy occurs. Liver necrosis can therefore occur when the level of glatathone is nearly depleted (Brodie, et al, 1973). The liver contains numerous enzymes some of which are also present in serum in very low concentration. These enzymes have no known function in serum other than to provide information about hepatic state and disorders.Reports of Kaplowitz, 1992; Dede, 1992 indicated that elevated serum transferase and alkaline phosphatase levels as indicators of liver necrosis. The aim of the current study therefore, is to study the biochemical changes that occurs in the serum (enzymelevels) and liver of albino rats exposed to petroleum samples (gasoline, kerosene and crude petroleum (bonny light). MATERIALS AND METHODS 71 male albino rats of 0.2kg body weight, obtained from Biochemistry and Pharmacology Departmental animal houses, University of Port – Harcourt Choba, Port Harcourt, Nigeria were used for the current study. The animals were acclimatized in the Pharmacology laboratory for six weeks. The animals were then divided in three groups (gasoline, kerosene and crud petroleum) and 5.0gkg, 7.5gkg and 15gkg of the petroleum samples gasoline, kerosene and bonny light were administered in the rats respectively. Each petroleum sample had twenty-seven rats for the three months study. Twelve rats served as * Corresponding author Ayalogu, O. E; Igboh N. M; Dede E. B