Research Article
Zaki Al-Hasawi, Hassan Al-Harb
Abstract
This study was carried out on 80 male Swiss Webster Albino mice (MFI Strain) treated for 90 days with drinking well water contaminated with fecal coliform bacteria at four doses, control (0 colony/L), low dose (490 colonies/100 L), medium dose (1100 colonies/100 L) and high dose (2400 colonies/100 L) to test the bacterial effect on the liver functions. The animal blood plasma was tested for determination of the concentrations of the substances total proteins, glucose, creatine, bilirubin, cholesterol, triacylglycerol, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein and the enzymes aspirate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase. The results indicated significant increase in the concentrations of the total proteins, lipoprotein, cholesterol, creatine and bilirubin and significant decrease in the concentration of the enzymes alanine aminotransferase, aspirate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and in high density lipoprotein, triacylglycerol in the animal’s blood. The functions of the liver were affected by the toxicity resulting from the fecal coliform bacteria concentrations in the well drinking water particularly at the medium and high doses.