Some toxicological, biochemical and haematological studies of amitriptyline hydrochloride in albino rats

Toxicological studies including acute and subacute toxicity of amitriptyline hydrochloride, which is one of the tricyclic antidepressant drugs, were carried out on albino rats. The median lethal dose [LD50] of the test drug after a single intraperitoneal dose injection was estimated to be 283 mg/Kg body weight. Subacute toxicity study continued for 30 days with two different dose levels daily equivalent to 1/20th and 1/10th of LD50 of amitriptyline-HCL to evaluate its adverse side effects on liver enzymes and haematological picture.Both dose levels exerted a very highly and highly significant increase in the values of SGOT, SGPT and serum alkaline phosphatase through the period of the experiment. The values of erythrocytes, haemoglobin, packed cell volume, leucocytes, neutrophils and Lymphocytes showed a significant decrease with difference in degrees of significance by the two dose levels So those who use the drug should be aware of possible occurrence of hepatic damage and blood dyscrasias

Clinico and histopathological studies on the migration of toxocara vitulorum larvae in experimentally infected guinea pigs

Six groups of guinea pigs were experimentally infected with embryonated Toxocara vitulorum eggs. Two weeks later, a second dose was given to two groups. Blood cytology, serum enzymes and histopathological alterations were studied for four and two weeks after initial and challenging infections, respectively. Signs of anemia were reported two weeks after infection. Eosinophilia was observed in the last week of initial infection, while eosinophilia and monocytosis were detected after two weeks of the challenging infection. Changes of serum enzymes varied after infection. The histopathological changes observed in the different organs were described. Tissue necrosis, eosinophilic infiltration and parasitic granuloma were observed