Isaac AO, Joseph AO, Victor SO, Lamidi YI and Andrew AM
Noise pollution, especially in the urban environment, is on the increase and ranks among the environmental stressors with the highest public health impact. Oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation are involved in the molecular mechanism underlying increase in EOF of rats exposed to noise stress. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of kaempferol and zinc gluconate on neurobehavioural changes in Wistar rats exposed to noise stress. Noise stress Wistar rats were exposed to 100 dB (4 hr/day) for 15 days. Exposure of Wistar rats to noise stress caused significant increase in EOF but significantly decreased haematological parameters. Kaempferol + zinc significantly prevented decrease (P<0.05) in haemoglobin (14.32 ± 0.11 g/dL), packed cell volume (43.47 ± 0.30%) and erythrocyte counts (7.20 ± 0.06 × 1012/L). Values of mean corpuscular haemoglobin (20.40 ± 0.33 ρg) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (33.20 ± 0.15%) were highest in kaempferol + zinc treated rats. Administration of kaempferol + zinc caused leucocytosis due to neutrophilia and lymphocytosis as well as a significant (P<0.05) decrease in N/L ratio (0.25 ± 0.01). In conclusion, treatment with kaempferol and zinc singly and in combination ameliorated noiseinduced increase in EOF of Wistar rats. Singly, kaempferol was more potent than zinc. In combination, kaempferol and zinc acted synergistically to produce an additive effect.
