Effect of mefloquine on the mechanical activity of the mouse isolated rectal smooth muscle

The effects of mefloquine on the mechanical activity of the mouse isolated rectal smooth muscle was studied. Mefloquine (4.1x10-5 - 5.2x10-3M) when applied alone and separately exerted variable effects on the rectum. In some preparations, it caused slight phasic contractions while in others no response was elicited. When the external (Ca2+) was increased from 1.8mM to 300mM mefloquine produced phasic contractile activity which was abolished on return to normal 1.8mM suggesting that the contractile activity was due to extracellular Ca2+ influx. Meflaquine (4.1x10-6M – 4.1x10-4M) caused contraction – dependent inhibition of KCL, Carbachol and CaCl2 (in depolarizing Tyrode Solution). Mefloquine (2.1x10-4M) blocked KCL, but not carbachol contractions which were largelyreversed by increasing (Ca2+). The results show that mefloquine possesses anticholinergic and appreciable calcium channel blocking activity

Protective effect of phenylalanine and glycine on chloramphenicol-induced bone marrow toxicity in albino rats infected with Klebsiella Pneumoniae

The effect of phenylalanine and glycine on chloramphenicol (CAP) induced bone marrow toxicity in albino rats infected with Klebsiella pneumoniae was investigated. The aim was investigate whether the treatment of the infected rats with either of these amino acids or their combination could reverse the major bone marrow toxicity of CAP. The study lasted for a period of 21 days in which haematological and histopathological changes were monitored in the infected rats. After 7 days, the rats became anaemic after treatment with CAP, but amino acids combined groups suppressed the anaemia and infection to some extent. At the end of 21 days, amino acids combination showed significant (p<0.05) suppression of anaemia except in CAP/Phenylalanine/glycine (group 4). Bone marrow examination showed the mechanism involved in the suppression of anaemia ( amino acids administration triggered RBC compensatory mechanism seen as erythroid hyperplasia and myeloid hypoplasia ). Histopathology changes ranges from hypocellularity in CAP group and fairly normocellularity in CAP/phenylalanine, CAP/glycine and necrotic/degenerative changes in group 4. Single amino acids combination with CAP have obvious protective effect and suppressed the bone marrow toxicity of CAP compared to the combination of the two amino acids with CAP , but all the combinations were effective in enhancing the efficacy of CAP.© 2016 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Keywords: Chloramphenicol toxicity, haematoxicity, amino-acid

Evaluation of the effects of Citrus sinensis seed oil on blood glucose, lipid profile and liver enzymes in rats injected with alloxan monohydrate

Objective: To evaluate the effects of Citrus sinensis seed oil on blood glucose, lipid profile and some liver enzymes activities in alloxan induced diabetic rats. Methods: About 120 mg/kg body weight alloxan monohydrate was injected intraperitoneally into 18 adult male albino rats weighing 180-200 g, which has been acclimatized in our laboratory for two weeks. Approximately 72 h after the alloxan injection, the rat became hyperglycaemic with blood glucose above 200 mg/dL. The diabetic rats were randomly assigned into three diabetic and one control groups of six rats each: normal control, diabetic treated with 1 000 mg/kg body weight of emulsified seed oil; diabetic control, diabetic treated with 150 mg/kg body weight of metformin hydrochloride. Both controls received weight-checked solution of 4.8% v/v Tween-80 in distilled water. All injections in all groups were done intraperitoneally once daily for 28 d. The blood glucose estimation was done every week, with one touch glucometer as well as the weight checked with animal weighing balance. Lipid profiles and some liver enzymes activities (AST, ALT and ALP) were analysed using test kits and spectrophotometer. Data obtained were analyzed using One way ANOVA and post hoc test done using graph pad prism-version 6. Results: The results of this study indicated that Citrus sinensis seed oil was able to reduce blood glucose significantly (P<0.001) in the early weeks of the study when compared with both the diabetic control group and the metformin-treated group. The seed oil significantly lowered serum triglyceride, the serum LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol and VLDL-cholesterol; the activities of all the liver enzymes assayed (P<0.05) but significantly increased the HDL-cholesterol in the diabetic oil-treated rats as compared to diabetic control (P<0.05). Conclusions: However, further studies need to be carried out to show its mechanism of action and to isolate the active ingredient in the Citrus sinensis seed oil that is responsible for these actions