ABSTRACT
The aqueous extract of Balanites aegyptiaca bark, which is used in Sudanese folk medicine in the treatment of jaundice, was without effect when studied on rabbit intestine, rabbit aortic strip, rat stomach strip, rat uterus and rat phrenic nerve-diaphragm in a dose up to 10 mg/mL gut bath. In a larger dose (25 mg) the extract decreased significantly the contractility and the rate of the isolated perfused rabbit heart. Administration of the aqueous extract to biliary duct-ligated rats, showed a dose-dependent significant decrease in serum bilirubin level. The chronic and subchronic toxicity investigations indicate the safety of the aqueous extract at a dose level which showed a significant decrease in serum bilirubin level in experimental obstructive jaundice in rats.
Subject(s)
Plants, Medicinal/chemistry , Animals , Blood Cell Count/drug effects , Diaphragm/drug effects , Female , Heart/drug effects , In Vitro Techniques , Jaundice/chemically induced , Jaundice/drug therapy , Lethal Dose 50 , Male , Muscle Contraction/drug effects , Phrenic Nerve/drug effects , Plant Epidermis/chemistry , Plant Extracts/toxicity , Rabbits , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Sudan , Uterine Contraction/drug effectsABSTRACT
The distribution and variability of brain stem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) were studied in 30 guinea pigs under controlled conditions. Coefficient of variation showed amplitude variables to have a greater intersubject variability than latency variables. However, amplitude variables were not found to be normally distributed. Therefore, evaluation of amplitude variables using statistics which assume that the underlying data are normally distributed can be misleading. One must either transform the data so they fit a normal distribution or use statistical methods that do not depend on a normal distribution. A nonparametric analysis study on amplitude variables in humans in recommended to update its clinical applicability.
