Natron consumption has been implicated in the pathogenesis of peripartum cardiomyopathy. This work evaluates the effect of natron on the antioxidant status and lipid profile of postpartum rats administered graded doses of natron for four consecutive weeks. After treatment, the rats were assessed for antioxidant status, malondialdehyde level, and lipid profile. The results revealed that natron caused a significant decrease (P ˂ 0.05) in the activity of catalase in rats administered with 300 mg/kg of natron compared to control. The activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase decreased in a dose-dependent manner; however, the difference was not statistically significant when compared with control. Serum levels of antioxidant minerals were also significantly decreased (P ˂ 0.05) at higher doses of natron in comparison to control. There was a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the malondialdehyde level in rats administered with 200 and 300 mg/kg of natron when compared with control. Natron at higher doses caused a significant increase (P ˂ 0.05) in the level of the lipid profile parameters except for high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol that decrease significantly (P ˂ 0.05). This study demonstrated that the administration of natron at high doses induced dyslipidemia and oxidative stress in postpartum rats. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This research reports the implication of a high intake of natron to health and to establish the relationship between natron intake and peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) using an animal model. Natron has health benefits; however, its consumption at high doses should be discouraged as it can lead to oxidative stress (OS) and dyslipidemia. The results suggest that OS due to natron may contribute to the pathogenesis of PPCM. A high concentration of natron can be used to induce an animal model of PPCM, which would be of practical application in studying the molecular basis and possible discovery of therapeutics for the disease.
Keywords: antioxidant status; dyslipidemia; natron; oxidative stress; rat.
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