Camel's milk protects against aluminum chloride-induced toxicity in the liver and kidney of white albino rats

Problem statement: Aluminum has the potential to be toxic in humans and animals. Aluminum is present in many manufactured foods and medicines and also added to drinking water for purification purposes, thus increasing the human exposure to this toxic metal. Aluminum accumulates mainly in bone, liver, testis, kidneys and brain and resulted in biological dysfunctions. For this reason, many researches are carried out to find natural-made compounds that help in the protection against aluminum induced toxicity in human and animals. The present study was carried out to investigate the protective effects of Camel's milk against aluminum-induced biochemical alterations and oxidative stress in the liver and kidney of white albino rats. Approach: White albino rats of both sexes (230-250 g) were housed in standard metal cages (10 rats/cage). The experimental rats (10 in each group) distributed into two experimental groups with a shared control group received only normal saline orally (Group 1). In experimental first group, a daily dose (0.5 mg kg-1 body weight) of Aluminum chloride (AlCl3) was orally administrated to the rats for 30 days and named aluminum chloride-treated rats. In experimental second group, the same concentrations of Aluminum chloride was administered orally 10 min after the administration in 1 mL of early morning fresh Camel's milk into the experimental rats for the same period of time and named Camel's milk-Aluminum chloride treated group. Water and food were provided ad libitum. Results: Biochemical findings in this study showed that the oral administration of camels milk with Aluminum chloride for 30 days resulted in an significant decrease in the levels of serum urea, creatinine, bilirubin, total cholesterol, triglycerides , tramsaminases (AST and ALT), Alkaline Phosotase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase. And resulted in a significant increase in total protein and Albumin levels when these rats were compared to normal rats received Aluminum chloride in which all these parameters were altered. Administration of ALCl3 to rats resulted in a significant increase lipid peroxidation biomarkers: Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS) and Hydroperoxides. (TBARS) levels were significantly reduced in the liver and the kidney of rats treated with camels milk and ALCl3, also, hydroperoxides levels were reduced in the liver and the kidney of same Camel's milk and ALCl3 treated rats. The levels of reduced Glutathione (GSH) and the activities of antioxidant enzymes: Superoxide dismutase and catalase were significantly decreased in liver and kidney of rats treated with AlCl3 alone. The presence of Camel's milk with AlCl3 alleviated its effect on these antioxidant system components in rats. It caused a significant increase in the levels of GSH in the liver and kidney of the rats and a significant increase in the activity of SOD and CAT in the liver and the kidney. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that Aluminum chloride (AlCl3) is capable to cause changes in some biochemical parameters, induced oxidative damage and inhibited the activities of antioxidant enzymes in rats kidney and liver. While, administration of camel's milk with Aluminum chloride minimized its hazards. © 2009 Science Publications.