protective effect of vitamin e against lead-induced memory and learning impairment in male rats

conclusions according to the results of this study, administration of vitamin e to rats counteracts the negative effects of pb on learning and memory. to more precisely extrapolate these findings to humans, future clinical studies are warranted. results the results showed that pb caused impairment in acquisition and retrieval processes in passive avoidance learning. vitamin e reversed learning and memory deficits in pre, post or co- exposure with pb (p < 0.001). objectives the purpose of the present study was to assess the protective effects of vitamin e against pb-induced amnesia. materials and methods forty-eight male wistar rats (200-250 g) were divided equally into the saline, pb, pb + vitamin e, and vitamin e alone groups. to induce pb toxicity, rats received water that contained 0.2% pb instead of regular water for 1 month. rats pretreated, treated or post treated with vitamin e (150 mg/kg) for 2 months. passive avoidance learning was assessed using shuttle-box after two months. retention was tested 24 and 48 hours after training. background lead (pb2+) is a neurotoxin substance that has been known for its adverse effects on central nervous system and memory. previous studies reported the potential effect of vitamin e as a memory enhancer.