Manganese (Mn) is an important mineral element required in trace amounts for development of the human body, while over- or chronic-exposure can cause serious organ toxicity. The current study was designed to evaluate the protective role of quercetin (Qct) against Mn-induced toxicity in the liver, kidney, lung, and hematological parameters in acute and subchronic rat models. Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into control, Mn (100 mg/kg for acute model and 15 mg/kg for subchronic model), and Mn + Qct (25 and 50 mg/kg) groups in both acute and subchronic models. Our result revealed that Mn + Qct groups effectively reduced Mn-induced ALT, AST, and creatinine levels. However, Mn + Qct groups had effectively reversed Mn-induced alteration of complete blood count, including red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, platelets, and white blood cells. Meanwhile, the Mn + Qct groups had significantly decreased neutrophil and eosinophil and increased lymphocyte levels relative to the Mn group. Additionally, Mn + Qct groups showed a beneficial effect against Mn-induced macrophages and neutrophils. Our result demonstrated that Mn + Qct groups exhibited protective effects on Mn-induced alteration of GRP78, CHOP, and caspase-3 activities. Furthermore, histopathological observation showed that Mn + Qct groups effectively counteracted Mn-induced morphological change in the liver, kidney, and lung. Moreover, immunohistochemically Mn + Qct groups had significantly attenuated Mn-induced 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine immunoreactivity. Our study suggests that Qct could be a substantially promising organ-protective agent against toxic Mn effects and perhaps against other toxic metal chemicals or drugs.
Keywords: hematological parameters; kidney; liver; lung; manganese; quercetin.