Effect of methylene blue on oxidative stress and antioxidant defence parameters of rat hepatic and renal tissues.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of administration of 1 mM methylene blue (MB) in drinking water for 30 days on hepatic and renal antioxidant status in female adult Wistar strain rats (n=5). MB failed to induce significant change in any of the measured antioxidant defence parameters namely, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and reduced glutathione (GSH). However, a marginally significant (P<0.05) increase in the level of lipid peroxidation (LPx) was recorded in liver, while a reduction (P<0.05) in its level in the kidney was noticed. Serum alanine amino transferase (AlaAT) and creatinine levels significantly (P<0.001) decreased in MB treated rats without any change in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level. Our findings suggest that the effect of MB as administered in the present study was tissue specific with regard to the level of LPx, however, in general, it does not impair liver and kidney functions as evidenced by serum parameters.