Protective Effects of Rutin and Vitamin C Against Sodium Arsenite-Induced Splenic Oxidative and Hematological Toxicity in Wistar Rats

Abstract

Sodium arsenite, a trivalent inorganic arsenic compound, induces oxidative and inflammatory injury in lymphoid organs such as the spleen. This study evaluated the protective effects of rutin and vitamin C, administered individually and in combination at low and high doses, against sodium arsenite-induced splenic toxicity in male Albino Wistar rats. Adult rats were assigned to six groups (n = 7) and orally treated for 14 days, comprising a 7-day antioxidant pre-treatment followed by 7 days of co-administration with sodium arsenite. Splenic nitrite, myeloperoxidase, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, lipid peroxidation, glutathione, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase were assessed alongside haematological indices and histological changes. Sodium arsenite significantly increased inflammatory and oxidative markers, depleted glutathione, glutathione-S-transferase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase, while increasing glutathione peroxidase, and produced anaemia and a neutrophilic, lymphopenic stress leukogram (p < 0.05). Vitamin C and rutin provided partial protection, whereas their high-dose combination produced the greatest improvement, restoring most biochemical and haematological indices toward control values, although glutathione remained reduced. Histologically, the high-dose combination preserved splenic architecture, while sodium arsenite caused marked disruption of white and red pulp. Overall, rutin and vitamin C provided dose-dependent protective effects, with the high-dose combination offering the most effective protection against sodium arsenite-induced splenic oxidative, inflammatory, haematological, and structural injury.