ABSTRACT
This study evaluated the Nephrotoxic effect of water soluble fraction (WSF) of Bonny Light Crude Oil (BLCO). After preparation of the WSFand a range finding test, the Wistaralbino rats were administered three concentrations (25%, 50% and 100%) of WSF of BLCO for 30 and 60days. Data from the study showed that Urea concentration increased significantly (p≤0.05) with increasing dose of BLCO ranging from 14.71mg/dl in the control to 35.28mg/dl in the 100% group after 30days and 14.28mg/dl in the control to 41.08mg/dl in the 100% group after 60days, Creatinine concentration increased significantly (p≤0.05) from 0.22mg/dl in the control to 0.82mg/dl in the 100% group after 60 days administration while electrolyte (Na, K, Cl) concentration increased significantly (p≤0.05) with increasing dose of BLCO after 60days administration. Histopathological examination of the kidney was characterized by partial partitioning of the glomerular tufts, obliteration of the Bowman’s capsule and distortion of the renal tubules. The findings in this research suggest that WSF of BLCO induced nephrotoxicity.
ABSTRACT
The effect(s) of two doses of Light Crude Oil (LCO) on the concentrations of regenerative DNA, total protein and glucose-6-phosphatase activity, as molecular indices of potential carcinogenicity was determined in liver homogenates of partially-hepatectomized and non-hepatectomized (normal) rat liver. Rats were treated with intraperitoneal injection at six hours, and sacrificed twenty-four hours post-partial hepatectomy (pph); control rats were partially hepatectomized but not treated; while reference rats (with normal liver) were non-hepatectomized and not treated. Regenerative DNA was partially purified from liver homogenates and quantified by the diphenylamine method; total protein concentration was determined directly in the homogenates by the Biuret method; and glucose-6-phosphatase activity by a modification of the Fiske-Subbarow method. Results showed a 21.5% increase in glucose-6-phosphatase activity in partially-hepatectomized rat liver over non-hepatectomized controls, 59.3% and 9.8% increases in total homogenate protein concentration at 2.5 and 5.0ml/kg body weight (bw) LCO respectively; 68.2% and 46.0% increases in glucose-6-phosphatase activity at 2.5 and 5.0 ml/kg bw over the control, respectively. Increases in partially-purified regenerative DNA concentrations also occurred at 13.7% and 20.5% over the controls at 2.5 and 5.0 ml/kg bw, respectively. Nigerian light crude oil (LCO) apparently induced increases in both regenerative DNA and protein syntheses at the first wave of synthesis (24hrs. pph) at the two dose levels tested, while also inducing increases in the bio-transformation by, or perhaps synthesis of, microsomes (cytochrome P450 and 448 detoxification enzymes) as judged by the increased level of the marker enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase. These results may shed more light on the probable molecular mechanism of LCO's potential carcinogenicity and/or toxicity.