Mercury and
cadmium are highly dangerous metals that can lead to disastrous effects in animals and humans. The aim of the current research was to elucidate the poisonous effects of
mercuric chloride and
cadmium chloride individually and in combination on biochemical profiles of plasma and their accumulation in heart. The
therapeutic effect of
vitamin C against these metals in rabbits was also studied.
Mercuric chloride (1.2 μg/g),
cadmium chloride (1.5 μg/g), and
vitamin C (150 μg/g of
body weight) were orally given to treatment groups of the rabbits (1-control; 2-
vitamin; 3-
CdCl2; 4-
HgCl2; 5-
vitamin +
CdCl2; 6-
vitamin +
HgCl2; 7-
CdCl2 +
HgCl2, and 8-
vitamin +
CdCl2 +
HgCl2. After the biometric determination of all intoxicated rabbits, biochemical parameters, viz
low-density lipoproteins (
LDL),
high-density lipoproteins (
HDL), cholesterol,
creatine kinase, and
troponin T (
TnT) were analyzed using available kits. Levels of
cholesterol (0.7 ± 0.1 mmol/l),
creatine kinase (2985.2 ± 11 IU/L),
LDL (20.35 ± 1.31 mg/dl), and
troponin T (1.22 ± 0.03 μg/l) were significantly (P < 0.05) increased. HDL (84.78 ± 4.30 mg/dl) was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased, while supplementation of
vitamin C decreased the adverse effects of
CdCl2 and
HgCl2 on biochemical parameters in all
metal-exposed groups. A similar trend was also seen in rabbits treated with
CdCl2 +
vitamin and
vitamin +
CdCl2 +
HgCl2. Accumulation of Cd and Hg was higher in heart tissues. This study, therefore, provides awareness on the
cardiac toxicity of
mercury and
cadmium chlorides in the rabbits and the possible protective role of
vitamin C against the perturbations induced by metals.