ASSESSMENT OF ALANINE AND ASPARTATE AMINOTRANSFERASE ACTIVITIES IN THE LUNGS OF WISTAR RATS EXPOSED TO SELECTED CLEANING AGENTS

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the lungs of Wistar rats exposed to various treatments to assess potential biochemical alterations associated with xenobiotic interaction. The experiment comprised ten groups (A–J), with Group J serving as the control. Enzyme activities were determined spectrophotometrically and expressed as specific activity (U/mg protein). Data were analysed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD post hoc test at a 95% confidence level. Results showed no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) in the mean values of ALT and AST among the treatment groups. ALT activity ranged between 0.24 ± 0.08 and 0.81 ± 0.48 U/mg protein, while AST activity varied from 0.21 ± 0.07 to 8.70 ± 8.31 U/mg protein. Although numerical fluctuations occurred—with groups G and H showing the lowest enzyme levels and groups I and J recording the highest—these variations were not significant. The findings indicate that exposure to the tested substances did not compromise pulmonary enzyme integrity or mitochondrial stability. The observed stability of both enzymes implies effective antioxidant defence and membrane protection in lung tissues, preventing enzyme leakage and oxidative degeneration. These results align with previous studies reporting limited transaminase alteration in pulmonary tissues under sub-toxic exposures. Overall, the study concludes that the lungs exhibit considerable biochemical resilience to moderate xenobiotic stress, reinforcing their adaptive capacity against oxidative imbalance. Prolonged exposure studies and inclusion of broader oxidative biomarkers are recommended for future investigations.