Antioxidant interactions of Pefloxacin, garlic, vitamins C and E on lipid profile level of Albino wistar rats.

The lipid profile studies of garlic, antioxidant vitamins C and E on pefloxacin-induced toxicity in wistar rat was evaluated. Method: One hundred adult wistar rats (120-180), of either sex were randomly selected into five study groups. Each group comprised of 10 pairs (ten males and ten females) were not allowed to mate, with group 1 as control. Group 11 were pefloxacin treated only while group 111 to 1V were pefloxacin treated with either garlic, vitamins C and E. Pefloxacin, garlic vitamin C and E in doses 11.43mg/kg, 4.28mg/kg, 14.29mg/kg body weight in normal saline (vehicle) was administered orally by intubation to male and female of groups 11 to V for 14 days. Control animals received 0.5ml of normal saline. In life observation measurements were taken and at the end of drug, garlic, antioxidant vitamins C and E combined administration animals were sacrificed and tissues obtained for biochemical assessment. Result: Physical signs of toxicity and ameliorating effects of antioxidant vitamins and garlic were also expressed in rats, pefloxacin treatment induced significant (P<0.05) increase in total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, very low density lipoprotein, triacylglycerol and decrease in high density lipoprotein relative to control but PF exposed and antioxidant vitamins C, E and garlic treated groups produced significant (P<O.O5) reduction in TC, LDL, VLDL, TG and with an increase in HDL levels relative to PF only treated groups were observed. Conclusion: These results suggest adverse effect of pefloxacin and ameliorating role of garlic, vitamins C and E on wistar rats’.

Haematological studies of antioxidant vitamins C, E and garlic on Pefloxacin Induced Toxicity in Wistar Rats.

The Haematological studies of garlic, antioxidant vitamins C and E on pefloxacin-induced toxicity in wistar rat was evaluated. Method: One hundred adult wistar rats (120-180), of either sex were randomly selected into five study groups. Each group comprised of 10 pairs (ten males and ten females) were not allowed to mate, with group 1 as control. Group 11 were pefloxacin treated only while group 111 to 1V were pefloxacin treated with either garlic, vitamins C and E. Pefloxacin, garlic vitamin C and E in doses 11.43mg/kg, 4.28mg/kg, 14.29mg/kg body weight in normal saline (vehicle) was administered orally by intubation to both male and female of groups 11 to V for 14 days. Control animals received 0.5ml of normal saline. In life observation measurements were taken and at the end of drug, garlic, antioxidant vitamins C and E combined administration animals were sacrificed and tissues obtained for biochemical assessment. Result: Physical signs of toxicity and ameliorating effects of antioxidant vitamins and garlic were also expressed in rats, significant (p<0.05) decrease in Hb, PCV, RBC and Total WBC were observed. Conclusion: These results suggest adverse effect of pefloxacin and ameliorating role of garlic, vitamins C and E on wistar rats’.

Evaluation of the effects of calliandra portoricensis extracts on oxidative stress enzymes in wistar rats challenged with venom of echis ocellatus.

Evaluation of the effects of Calliandra portoricensis extracts on oxidative stress (antioxidant) enzymes was carried out using wistar rat model. The anti-oxidant enzymes evaluated were superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). These extracts were used to ascertain their potency in enhancing these enzymes activities in envenomed rats. A total of 30 rats were randomly assigned into 5 treatment groups of 6 rats each. Group 1 (control) received nothing. Group 2 received viperian venom only. Groups 3, 4 and 5 received same amount of venom in addition to calculated doses of flavonoid-rich, polyphenol-rich and whole ethanolic extracts respectively. The dosages of the venom and the C. portoricensis extracts were administered intramuscularly. After about 4 hours, the rats were sacrificed, serum collected and the oxidative stress enzymes assayed. Marked decrease of SOD, CAT and GPx enzymes activities occurred in the group 2 rats while increases (P<0.05) were observed in groups 3, 4 and 5 experimental rats. These findings suggest that C. portoricensis extracts actually attenuated the obliterating effects of the viperian venom on the naturally-occurring anti-oxidant enzymes in experimental wistar rats.

Histopathological responses of the heart, liver and kidney to calliandra portoricensis extracts in wistar rats challenged with venom of echis ocellatus.

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of Calliandra portoricensis extracts in ameliorating the histopathological changes in the heart, liver and kidney of wistar rat challenged with venom of Echis ocellatus. A total of 30 rats were randomly assigned into 5 treatment groups of 6 rats each. Group 1 (control) received nothing. Group 2 received 200μg venom/rat. Groups 3, 4 and 5 received, in addition to the same amount of venom, 0.5 ml of 100mg/100g body weight of rat as “antidote” concentration 4 hours after the administration of the venom. The dosages of the venom and the extracts were administered intramuscularly and after 4 hours the heart, liver and kidney were harvested for histopathological study of the changes in these organs. The groups treated with the extracts showed reduction in tissue injury compared to the venom alone, though not as good as the control group. This reduction is more marked in treatment group 4, which is polyphenol-rich and which is believed to be the component that is involved in complexation with the venom. This implies a restoration of these organs to a near normal state after the viperian envenomation.

Effects of calliandra portoricensis extracts on the haematological indices of wistar rats challenged with venom of echis ocellatus.

Effect of whole ethanolic and selective solvent extracts of C. portoricensis plant was carried out in wistar rats to ascertain their efficacy in ameliorating or attenuating the haemotoxicity of venom of carpet viper. A total of 30 wistar rats were used, divided into 6 rats per group of control, venom, venom/flavonoid-rich, venom/polyphenol-rich and venom/whole ethanolic extracts. The control was given nothing while the other groups were given 200μg venom/rat and 0.5 ml 100mg/100g body weight (b.w.) of rat as “anti-dote” concentration. This “antidote” was given intramuscularly 4-6 hours after the administration of the venom. The result obtained showed significant increase (P<0.05) in the haemoglobin concentration, red blood cell count, mean corpuscular volume, white blood cell count especially in neutrophils and marked decrease (P<0.05) in platelet parameters. These findings suggest that whole ethanolic and selective solvent extract of C. portoricensis may be effective in ameliorating and indeed reversing the haemotoxicity occasioned by carpet viper haemotoxin in wistar rats.

Vitamin C improves basal metabolic rate and lipid profile in alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus in rats.

Diabetes mellitus (DM)is a multi-factorial disease which is characterized by hyperglycaemia, lipoprotein abnormalities and oxidative stress. This study evaluated effect of oral vitamin C administration on basal metabolic rate and lipid profile of alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Vitamin C was administered at 200 mg/kg body wt. by gavage for four weeks to diabetic rats after which the resting metabolic rate and plasma lipid profile was determined. The results showed that vitamin C administration significantly (p less than 0.01) reduced the resting metabolic rate in diabetic rats; and also lowered plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. These results suggest that the administration of vitamin C in this model of established diabetes mellitus might be beneficial for the restoration of basal metabolic rate and improvement of lipid profile. This may at least in part reduce the risk of cardiovascular events seen in diabetes mellitus.

Haematoxic Effects Following Ingestion Of Nigerian Crude Oil And Crude Oil Polluted Shellfish By Rats

The haematological effects following ingestion of shellfish exposed to crude oil polluted water or the pollutant perse were investigated in albino Wistar rats. Feeding of four groups of rats for 28 days duration with two reference casein or shellfish protein control diets (Group A and B); and two test diets (Group C and D) supplemented at varying levels with shellfish which had been previously exposed to crude oil polluted water and the oral gavaging with crude oil at the rate of 3; 6 and 9 ml/kg body weight per day to three groups (groups II; III and IV respectively) of rats for 7 days duration resulted in changes in packed cell volume (PCV); red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) counts; and haemoglobin concentration (Hb) of rats. Group C and D respectively fed 10 and 20 polluted shellfish diets recorded significant (P 0.05) decreases in PCV and RBC counts while Hb concentration and WBC counts increased. Groups II; III and IV gavaged with varying doses of crude oil recorded significant (P 0.05 - 0.01) dose dependent decrease in PCV and RBC counts when compared to controls (group 1). Hb and WBC counts also increased for these groups but the increase was only significant for WBC counts (P 0.05) when compared with controls. The results suggest that the ingestion of shellfish exposed to crude oil polluted water or the polluted perse results in haematotoxicity