RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Diethylnitrosamine (DEN) is found in workplaces, processed meats, tobacco smoke, whiskey, etc. It is capable of forming DNA-adducts. Fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis [To]) is a medicinal plant, and its herbal preparations have been employed variously in ethnomedicine. Furthermore, it has been reported to possess anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory properties. We investigated the possible mitigating effect of the leaf paste of To on DEN-induced deleterious effects in male Wistar rats. METHODS: Forty-five rats weighing between 100 and 150 g were equally divided into nine groups and treated thus: Group 1 (negative control), Group 2 (0.05 mg/kg carboxymethyl cellulose [CMC] daily), Group 3 (positive control, 25 mg/kg bw DEN administered intraperitoneally thrice per week), Group 4 (25 mg/kg bw quercetin [QUE] daily alone), Groups 5 and 6 (100 and 200 mg/kg bw To daily, respectively), Group 7 (25 mg/kg bw DEN and QUE), Groups 8 and 9 (25 mg/kg bw DEN with 100 and 200 mg/kg bw To, respectively). Blood glucose levels, liver damage biomarkers (aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanine aminotransferase [ALT] and gamma-glutamyltransferase [γ-GT]), frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocyte (mPCEs), and liver histology were assessed. RESULTS: DEN significantly (p<0.05) increased blood glucose levels, activities of ALT, AST and γ-GT, and frequency of mPCEs. Histologically, DEN caused a severe architectural anarchy. However, the intervention groups demonstrated the remarkable protective properties of To by ameliorating the adverse effects caused by DEN. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, the leaf paste of To is capable of mitigating DEN-induced hepatotoxicity and clastogenicity in male Wistar rats.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: This study examined the levels of selected micronutrients and associated biochemical changes in rats exposed to Baygon® insecticide. Arsenic is a toxic metalloid commonly used in insecticides manufacture but unheralded. METHODS: Fifteen rats, divided into three equal groups: Group I (control); group II (administered 2.5 mg/kg sodium arsenite (SA) on alternate days for four weeks); group III (exposed to 14.0 mL Baygon® m-3 cage volume daily for four weeks). Serum levels of arsenic (As), selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) were determined using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (FAAS). Reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and total protein (TP) were determined spectrophotometrically. RESULTS: Arsenic and Se levels were significantly raised in groups II and III compared with control (p < 0.05), unlike Zn levels that were significantly decreased in groups II and III (p < 0.05) in both. No significant change in the activity of GPx; though the activity increased in the group treated with SA, but decreased in the group treated with Baygon® compared to control (P < 0.05). Histology of the liver and lung was unaltered in control, but in contrast, the SA-treated group demonstrated moderate fibrous hyperplasia with prominent highly infiltrated portal area in the liver; while the lung revealed thickened alveolar walls from proliferated pneumocytes. In the Baygon®-treated group, there was mild hyperplasia of the fibrous connective tissue and congested prominent portal areas; while the lung exhibited severe thickened alveolar walls due to proliferated pneumocytes. CONCLUSION: Exposure of rats to Baygon® elicited alteration of key trace elements involved in the antioxidant system, culminating in oxidative stress with attendant deleterious effects. One significance of this for humans is that it has great potentials for possible nutritional modulation of insecticide toxicity with micronutrients, especially with zinc, holding great promise in tropical developing countries.