Table 4.

Summarized data of EA protection against heavy metals

Toxic agent	Dose/Concentration period and route of exposure	Dose/Concentration of EA treatment period and route of administration	In vitro/In vivo	Results	Reference
Aluminum	20 mg/kg, daily, for 8 weeks, p.o	60 mg/kg, daily for 8 weeks, p.o	Male albino rats	Reduced liver MDA levels and modulated elevation of liver CAT, GPx, and SOD activity and GSH level.	(82)
Arsenic	10 mg/kg, daily, for 8 days, p.o	40 mg/kg, daily, for 11 days, p.o	Wistar rats	Decreased the inflammatory markers (IL-1β, TNF-α, and INF-γ) and apoptotic markers in the brain, down-regulated Bax and up-regulated Bcl-2	(86)
	10 mg/kg, daily, for 21 days, p.o	30 mg/kg, daily, for 14 days, p.o	Male Wistar albino rats	Diminished MDA and NO levels and inflammation markers (IL-1β and TNF-α), and increased TAC, GPx, and GSH levels in the brain.	(87)
	10 mg/kg, daily, for 21 days, p.o	30 mg/kg, daily, for 14 days, p.o	Male Wistar rats	Decreased AST, CK-MB, LDH, and cTnI; and decreased MDA and NO with the increase of GSH level and activities of CAT, SOD, and GPx in the cardia.	(88)
	500 µM for 24 hr	75 µM, 1 hr prior to exposure	Chinese hamster V79 cells	Diminished the generation of ROS and DNA fragmentation.	(89)
	10 mg/kg daily for 21 days, p.o	30 mg/kg daily for 14 days, p.o	Male Wistar rats	Increased TAC, GSH level, and the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GPx) in testicular tissue. Suppressed MDA, IL-1β, TNF-α, and NO.	(90)
Arsenic trioxide	2 µM for 24 hr	20 µM, 1 hr prior to exposure for 24 hr	SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cell line	Attenuated MMP loss and released cytochrome c and DNA damage.	(92)
	5 mg/kg, daily, for 10 days, IP	30 mg/kg, daily, for 10 days, p.o	Male Wistar rats	Decreased MDA and increased GSH, and GPx activity, and attenuated QTc prolongation in the heart.	(93)
Iron	100 mg/kg, for 5 alternative days, IP	8 mg/kg, daily, for 21 days, p.o	Swiss albino male mice	Suppressed ROS generation and serum marker levels (ALP, ALT, AST, and LDH) and increased antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT). Decreased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and inhibited the caspase-3 activation.	(95)

ALP: alkaline phosphatase; ALT: alanine aminotransferase; AST: aspartate aminotransferase; Bax: Bcl-2-associated X protein; Bcl-2: B-cell lymphoma 2; CAT: catalase; CK-MB: Creatine kinase-MB; GPx: glutathione peroxidase; GSH: Glutathione; IL-1β; interleukin-1β; INF-γ: Interferon-gamma; LDH: lactate dehydrogenase; MDA: malondialdehyde; MMP: mitochondrial membrane potential; NO; nitric oxide; p.o: oral; ROS: reactive oxygen species; SOD: superoxide dismutase; TAC: total antioxidant capacity; TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor-alpha