African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 5 (9), pp. 749-754, 2 May 2006   

ISSN 1684–5315 © 2006 Academic Journals        

Full Length Research Paper

Effects of acute and sub-chronic ammonium nitrate exposure on rat liver and blood tissues

Samira BENSOLTANE¹, L. MESSERER², Mustapha YOUBI²*, BERREBBAH Houria², M. DJEKOUN² and DJEBAR Med Réda²

¹Faculté de Médecine, University of Badji Mokhtar,  23000 Annaba, Algerie.

²Laboratoire de Toxicologie Cellulaire, Université de Annaba, B.P. 23000, Algérie.

*Corresponding authors E-mail: youbi_mustapha@yahoo.fr. Tel: (213) (0) 62806962 / (0)  72198277. Fax: (213) (0) 38871424.

Accepted 6 March, 2006

Use of fertilizers like ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃) for agricultural purposes has increasingly contaminated the ecosystem with nitrate and/or nitrites. Nitrite is a toxic substance that can cause multiple physiological effects if allowed to build up to high concentrations in animals such as methemoglobinemia. This work is concerned with the study of short term (3 days intoxication) and mid-term (over 21 days) NH₄NO₃ exposure to wistar rats at the dose of 250 mg/Kg. Under these conditions, some hematological and biochemical parameters were affected. Methemoglobinemia, increase in serum nitrates as well as a hepatic cytotoxicity indicated by an increase in bilirubin and transaminases levels were observed.

Key words: Ammonium toxicity, Blood tissues, Methemoglobin, Bilirubin, Rat liver, Fertilizers.