RESUMO
Background: The use of liquid vaporizers as residential insecticides to control the problem of mosquito bites and to prevent adult, newborns and children from deadly vector borne diseases like Malaria, Dengue and chikungunya etc. is ever increasing. These products contain pyrethroid and emit parallethrin vapours when put to use at home. There are numerous side effects of these vapours like allergic sinusitis, difficulty in respiration, sleep disturbance, giddiness, headache, body ache and lethargy but the market for these product decides the outcome of all the research concerned with its safety. Histological studies can establish their toxic effects on Spinal Cord, cervical and lumbar enlargements in the White and Grey matter that forms structural continuity with the CNS. Accordingly the present study was planned to assess the safety of pyrethroid based mosquito repellent inhalational use and the histological insult to the spinal cord of Albino rats. Methods: Total of twenty albino rats were equally divided into control and experimental group. The experimental group was exposed to 3.2% w/v prallethrin vapours for total of 12 hours per day for 180 days. The control group rats was exposed to identical situation but without any exposure. The albino rats were sacrificed after the study period of exposure of 180 days. Spinal cord dissected., tissue processed, sectioned and stained with haematoxylin, eosin and thionin. Results: Grey matter of the spinal cord at cervical and lumbar enlargement showed numerous vacuoles with lightly stained cell body of neurons and Nissl’s dissolution with occasional inflammatory cells. Conclusions: Neurohistological study, inhalational route, neurotoxicity, adult albino rats, prallethrin vapours, spinal cord.
RESUMO
Background: Depression is a common debilitating illness contributing to increase in morbidity and mortality worldwide. 20% of all depressed patients are refractory to treatment with available antidepressants at adequate doses. Momordica charantia commonly known as Karela is widely used in Indian cuisine. This study was carried out to evaluate its lesser known Antidepressant activity. The objective of this study is to evaluate the Antidepressant activity of Aqueous extract of Momordica charantia leaves.Methods: This study was done in Department of Pharmacology, JNMC, AMU. Tail Suspension test and 5-Hydroxytrytophan induced Head Potentiation was evaluated in Swiss Albino mice. Forced swim test, Learned Helplessness test and Spontaneous motor activity was noted in Albino Wistar rats respectively at doses of AEMC (Aqueous extract of Momordica charantia leaves) 100mg/kg, 200mg/kg and 300mg/kg.Results: AEMC at all three doses 100mg/kg, 200mg/kg and 300mg/kg exhibited antidepressant activity by significantly decreasing the immobility time in Tail Suspension test and except 100mg/kg. In forced swim test psychostimulant activity of AEMC was ruled out in Spontaneous motor activity. Number of Escape failures was decreased in Learned Helplessness test at doses of AEMC 200mg/kg and 300 mg/kg. Increase in Head twitches was seen only with AEMC 300mg/kg in 5-Hydroxytrytophan induced Head Potentiation in mice.Conclusions: Aqueous Extract of Momordica Charantia leaves exhibits Antidepressant activity in animal models of Depression.