Effect of Copper, Manganese and Zinc With Antioxidant Vitamins on Pulse Rate and Lipid Profile of Salt-Loaded Albino Rats

Hypertension and dyslipidemia are associated with oxidative stress and are major causes of cardiovascular diseases amounting to 30% of global death rate. The effect of antioxidants supplementation on pulse rate and lipid profile in salt-loaded albino rats were investigated using a randomized control study with 30 albino rats divided into 5 experimental groups of 6 rats each. Groups 1 and 2 were normal untreated and salt-induced untreated respectively. Groups 3-5 were treated with Vitamins (A, C and E) with Cu, Mn and Zn respectively. Hypertension and dyslipidemia were induced using Salt-loading method (8% NaCl) for a period of five (5) weeks where Group 1 received normal rat feed and Groups 2-5 received salt-loaded diet. The heart rate of the rats was measured before and after the salt loading and dyslipidaemia was assessed at the end of the experiment. The results indicated that salt loading induced significant increase (p<0.05) in pulse rate, total cholesterol (TC) and LDLcholesterol. It also induced significant (p<0.05) decrease in HDL-cholesterol and no change in Angiotensin converting enzyme activity. Treatment with antioxidants caused significant (p<0.05) decrease in pulse rate, TC and LDL-cholesterol and significant increase (p<0.05) in HDL-cholesterol even in the presence of the salt. There is no significant difference between treatments with the various elements. The results of the current study may therefore suggest that antioxidants supplementations may delay or reverse the onset of dyslipidaemia and hypertension associated with high salt diets in rats.