Role of folic acid in alleviating hematologic disorders caused by chronic phenobarbital treatment in adult male rats

The hematological disorders of chronic phenobarbital [PB] treatment [50 mg/kg] and the role of folic acid [1 mg/kg] in reducing these effects were studied in adult male rats. Noticeable declines in red blood corpuscles [RBCs], white blood corpuscles [WBCs], blood platelets [BP], hemoglobin content [Hb], hematocrit% [MCH], mean corpuscular hemoglobin content [MCHC] in addition to the mean corpuscular volume [MCV] were recorded in phenobarbital treated rats. Also, total body weight was decreased, whereas serum copper and serum iron were exceeded in the same group. Administration of folic acid, for protection or treatment, seemed to justify almost all the parameters, which were markedly affected by phenobarbital treatment. The results showed that oral folic acid therapy may provide a safe and inexpensive tool to reduce chronic anticonvulsant therapy risk

Effect of adrenergic receptor blockers on ethanol mediated metabolic and haematologic changes in rats

Sympathetic activation is incriminated in the metabolic changes, neu-ropsychatric syndrome and overburdened physiologic resources noticed with chronic ethanol intake. The aim of the work was to detect some metabolic and haematologic effects mediated by chronic ethanol intake in rate and to study the possible role of alpha and beta adrenergic receptor blockers in modifying these changes. Thirty male albino rats were devided into 5 groups; placebo control, ethanol treated group, group treated with ethanol together with intraperitoneal propranolol, group treated with ethanol together with intraperitoneal Hydergine. and group treated with ethanol and intraperitoneal propranolol and Hydergine daily for 8 weeks. It was found that chronic ethanol intake caused anaemia, hypoalbuminaemia. elevated SGOT and SGPT, decreased liver glycogen, hyperglycemia, increased total lipids, elevated serum cholesterol and decreased body weight gain. The use of both adrenergic receptor blockers caused significant changes in blood glucose, liver glycogen, total lipids. total proteins and serum albumin. There was significant difference in this group compared with either beta blocker alone or alpha blocker alone. In conclusion, adrenergic hyperactivity is responsible for most of the metabolic changes oc-cured with chronic ethanol intake and the use of combination of alpha and beta receptor blockers may help in the reconstruction of metabolic adjustment

Correlation between histopathological and haematological changes produced by lead popllution in mice

The effect of repeated drinking of water from El-Manzala Lake through onemonth was investigated in Swiss albino mice. Marked anemia was observed inaddition to increase in total leucocytic count. The pathological changes inmice after drinking polluted water were mostly renal tubular degeneration andnecrosis and less often glomerular atrophy and interstitial nephritis. Theliver and testes were mildly affected, while the other organs showed no abnor malities. These results indicated that pollution caused by sewage disposal in El- Manzala Lake resulted in severe affection of hemopoieticsystem and kidney, and that the level of contamination is sufficient to beconsidered as public health risk