Adverse effects of medroxyprogestrone acetate [depo-provera] injections on the vascular and histochemical patterns of liver of adult female albino rats

The effects of medroxyprogestrone acetate [MPA] [Depo-Provera[R]] on the vascular, morphological and histochemical patterns of the liver of female albino rats were studied. Twenty-seven adult female albino rats were divided into 3 equal groups. The first group served as control. The second group [treated group] and third group [recovery group] were injected intramuscularly with MPA weekly for 8 successive injections. The rats of the control and treated groups were sacrificed 48 hours after the last injection while those of the third group were sacrificed one month later to study reversibility of drug effects. All groups were studied for the liver vasculature [India ink injection technique], morphology of hepatocytes [Hematoxylin and Eosin stain], demonstration of liver glycogen [Periodic Acid Schiff; PAS stain] and for activity of both acid phosphatase and succinic dehydrogenase enzymes on frozen sections. Leica Quantimet Image Analyzer was used to perform the quantitative study. The effect of [MPA] was demonstrated in the treated group as marked increase in the liver cell size with multiple cytoplasmic vacuolization, statistically significant increase in the liver vasculature [p < 0.01] and statistically significant increase in the affinity of hepatocytes to PAS staining [p < 0.01]. However, no significant changes were observed in the activity of acid phosphatase and succinic dehydrogenase enzymes. In the recovery group, the liver failed to return to its normal vascular pattern and PAS stain affinity. It is concluded that cytoplasmic vacuolization associated with repeated MPA injection was reversible, however, a residual increase in vascularity and glycogen content was observed. Finally, monitoring of liver functions is highly recommended during the use of MPA injection

Postmortem endogenous production of ethanol in albino rabbit

This study was carried out to evaluate the endogenous postmortem [PM] ethanol production in Albino rabbit. Fifty-four adult male new-zeland rabbits were divided into three equal groups, 18 animals each. All groups were subjected to intra-peritoneal [IP] injection of 20 ml normal saline for group I [control], 20 ml of 50% glucose [G] for group II, and 2g/kg of 50% ethanol [E] [weight/volume] for group III. Sixty minutes after injection, all animals were sacrificed and left to putrefy for 24 ours at room temperature. Blood [B], vitreous humor [V] and urine [U] samples ere collected from each animal at 3 time intervals; I-Before commencing the experiment [0 time]: a blood sample was collected to determine blood glucose concentration [BGC-0] and Blood Ethanol Concentration [BEC-0]. 2-Sixty minutes after injection [just after animal sacrifice]: blood and vitreous humor samples to determine [BGC-60], [BEC-60] and [VEC-60] 3-Twenty-four hours postmortem blood, vitreous humor and urine samples to determine [BEC-24]. [VEC-24] and [UEC-24]. The results showed that there is a postmortem production of ethanol. In group I, the concentration of blood ethanol produced PM ranged from 0-42 mg/dL. In group II [glucose dosed group], this concentration ranged from 7-90 mg/dL. In group three [ethanol dosed group] BEC-24 was significantly higher than BEC-60. On the other hand, a positive correlation was found between BECF-60 and VEC-60, BEC-60 and VEC-24 and BEC-60 and UEC-24 in the ethanol dosed group. Furthermore, in the ethanol dosed group also, the ratio between UEC-24; BEC-60 was 1.236: 1, UEC-24: BEC-24 was 1.212: 1, UEC-24: VEC-24 was 1.219: I and UEC-24; VEC-60 was 1.161:1