Lead is a common environmental toxicant associated greatly with hematological and hormonal imbalance, biochemical alterations, and reproductive abnormalities. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of D-ribose-L-cysteine (DRLC) on hematobiochemical and reproductive toxicity associated with lead acetate exposure in adult female Wistar rats. Thirty-two adult female Wistar rats (165 +/- 20 g) were divided into four groups (n = 8). Group A received normal saline as placebo; Group B received 100 mg/kg BW of lead acetate only; Group C received 100 mg/kg BW of lead acetate and 10 mg/kg BW DRLC (low dose); Group D received 100 mg/kg BW of lead acetate and 30 mg/kg BW of DRLC (high dose). All administration was done via oral gavage for 42 days, thereafter animals were sacrificed; serum was obtained from the blood collected for analysis, ovaries, and uterus was harvested for analysis. The lead acetate only group showed a significant difference in hematological indices relative to control. Additionally, there was a significant decrease in body weight, sodium dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione, progesterone with a corresponding increase in ovarian weight, MDA, FSH, and LH among the lead acetate only group relative to the control. Histological observation showed atretic antral follicles, with detached granulosa cells, pyknotic nuclei in the granulosa wall in the ovaries of the lead-exposed only group compared to the control. Co-administration of DRLC and lead attenuate the toxicity of lead exposure by restoring the hematological values, biochemical parameters, hormone profile, and morphology of the ovary. Exposure to lead acetate causes deleterious toxicity to hematological and reproductive functions which were ameliorated DRLC supplementation through its antioxidant mechanisms.

Background: Stroke affects up to 10% of individuals with sickle cell anemia (SCA), and its development has been linked to excessive intravascular hemolysis and arterial thrombosis Increased intracerebral blood flow (CBF) velocity as measured by the transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) identifies children with SCA with an increased risk of development of stroke. This study measured antithrombin (AT) levels among SCA patients as a predictor of TCD risk groups for the development of stroke. Materials and Methods: A total of 180 participants consisting of 135 SCA patients and 45 age-matched hemoglobin phenotype AA (HbAA) controls were enrolled into the study. CBF velocity was measured with TCD and results were used to classify the SCA group into standard risk, conditional risk, and high risk. AT functional activity, prothrombin time (PT), and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) of all participants were measured. Statistical tools including independent t-test, analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation, hierarchical multiple regression, and forward liner regression were used to analyze all continuous variables. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The AT levels were 83.01 ± 15.40% and 106.12 ± 14.79% in HbAA and SCA participants, respectively, with t = −7.294 and P = 0.001. The PT and APTT of the SCA and control groups were 15.51 ± 1.22 s, 13.78 ± 0.94 s, and 35.98 ± 3.24, 33.62 ± 2.49 s, respectively. Using ANOVA, there was a statistical difference (P = 0.001) in the AT levels of the standard-risk (89.07 ± 14.26%) and high-risk groups (73.10 ± 12.35%). Using Pearson's correlation, there was a significant negative correlation between AT levels and CBF (r = −0.405). With the use of multiple regression, AT showed the highest predictive value for CBF (R2 = 0.155; P ≤ 0.001; F = 17.677). Conclusion: AT functional activity levels were reduced in the SCA group compared with the HbAA-matched controls.