[ effect of diclofenac sodium injection on stomach of male rats]

Diclofenac sodium is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug [NSAID]. It is widely used because of its analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects. The aim of this experimental study is to investigate the effects of intramuscular injection of diclofenac sodium in therapeutic and high doses for different periods on the stomach of rats. Forty young adult male albino rats ranging from 180-220 g body weight were used. They were divided into 5 groups of 8 animals for each. Group A and B were the control groups, they received intramuscular injection of normal saline for 7 and 14 weeks respectively. Group C received intramuscular injection of therapeutic doses of diclofenac sodium [2.2 mg/kg/day] for 7 weeks. Group D received therapeutic doses of diclofenac sodium intramuscularly for 14 weeks, while group E was administered intramuscular injection of high doses of diclofenac sodium [11 mg/kg/day] for 7 weeks. At the end of the experiment, the animals were sacrificed and the stomachs were obtained from all groups for light microscopic examinations. No changes were observed in stomachs of groups A, B and C, while in group D there were destruction of glandular architecture, damage of surface epithelium and submucosal blood vessels congestion. Group E reveals destruction and shedding of surface epithelium, necrosis in the gastric mucosa with mononuclear inflammatory cells infiltration, in addition to submucosal blood vessels congestion, edema and hemorrhage. Diclofenac sodium is safe and cause no gastric damage when administered intramuscularly as a single daily therapeutic dose in young adult rats for 7 weeks or less, but it causes gastric damage when the period of administration or the dose of the drug increase [i.e gastric damage depends on the period of exposure and the dose of the drug]

Effect of doxorubicin on the histological structure of the liver in male albino rats

This study is concerned with the effect of doxorubicin on the histological structure of the rats livers. for this experiments 24 albino male rats [ranging from 200-220g] body weight and are three months age were taken. For this purpose three groups each consists of 8 male rats were examined. The animals were allowed to acclimatize to laboratory conditions one week prior to the experiments. Group I was left as a control, while group II received intraperitonealy a low dose of 0.2 mg /Kg doxorubicin, group III received the therapeutic dose of doxorubicin of Img /Kg intraperitonealy. Intraperitoneal injection of doxorubicin was given in the lower lateral part of the abdomen. The animals were scarified at the end of the experiment and the livers were collected from all groups to be prepared for light microscopic examination. Light microscopic observations revealed that higher doses of doxorubicin caused massive hepatotoxicity including dissolution of the hepatic cords, focal inflammation, apoptosis and necrosis of the hepatic tissues with fibrosis around the portal area. Lower doses exhibited abnormal changes including vacoulation of the hepatocytes with widening of the sinusoidal capillaries in addition to congestion and vasodilatation of the central veins. This study revealed that doxorubicin causes marked changes in rats liver; which occur even in low doses; such results can guide the design of appropriate treatment regimens to reduce the hepatotoxic effects of this anticancer drug such as the concomitant use of antioxidant drugs

Some histochemical changes in the placentae of preeclampsia

The placenta has been implicated in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is more common in multifetal gestations which have an increased placental mass compared to singleton pregnancies. Detecting the effects of preeclampsia on the availability of enzymes in the full term placenta. Two groups of placentae were taken from full term pregnant women immediately after labour, each consisting of ten placentae. The first group are placentae obtained from women having an uneventful pregnancy with no history of disease or complication [as a control group] while the second group consists of placentae obtained from women with a history of preeclampsia. The materials were obtained from Al-Batool and Al-Khansaa Teaching Hospitals in Mosul, between February and July [2006]. Significant histochemical changes were detected in the placentae of the second group when compared with those from the first group, such changes result from syncytial damage and destruction affecting the preeclamptic placentae, leading to the loss of alkaline phosphatase enzyme with an increase in the amount of the degenerating acid phosphatase enzyme