Effect of aqueous Allium cepa extract from red onion on aluminum chloride- induced anemia in female rats

This study examined the protective effect of Allium cepa extract from red onion on aluminum – induced anemia in female wistar rats. Twenty-four animals (six rats per group) were used for this study. They were divided into four groups: group one served as control, group two animals were treated with 100mg/kg BW of aluminum chloride and served as Aluminum chloride (AlCl3) group, group three, Allium cepa alone group were treated with 1mL/100g BW of Allium cepa while group four was simultaneously treated with 1mL/100g BW of Allium cepa and 100mg/kg BW AlCl3. Treatments lasted for 4 weeks. Red blood cells (RBC), packed cell volume (PCV), Hemoglobin concentration (Hb) were measured from blood sample collected from each rat. Serum urea, serum and kidney malondialdehyde (index of lipid peroxidation) and kidney catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were measured spectrophotometrically. Significant decrease in RBC, PCV, Hb, catalase, SOD and significant increase in serum urea and malondialdehyde were observed in aluminum treated animals when compared with control. Animals treated with Allium cepa alone had significant increase in PCV, Hb, SOD and significant decrease in malondialdehyde and serum urea while there was no significant different in RBC and catalase when compared with control. Simultaneous treatment of the animals with Allium cepa and aluminum chloride resulted in significant increase in PCV while there was no significant different in RBC, Hb, catalase, malondialdehyde when compared with control.This study reveals that Allium cepa extract treatment ameliorate aluminum-induced anemia through antioxidant system.Keywords: Anemia, Allium cepa, Aluminum chloride, lipid peroxidatio

Allium Cepa Ameliorates Ethanol-Induced Gastric Injury in Rats Via Reduction in Gastric Neutrophils Infiltration

Neutrophil-derived oxygen free radicals have been implicated in the aetiology of gastric tissue damage. In this study, the ameliorative effects of Allium cepa on neutrophil infiltration, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activities in the ethanol-induced gastric injury were examined. Twenty four adult male Wistar rats were used for this study and divided into four groups; Control, Allium cepa, Allium cepa + Ethanol and Ethanol. Allium cepa was administered (1mL/100g body weight) daily for twenty eight days while 0.2mL of 98% (v/v) ethanol per 23g Body Weight was used to induced gastric damage. Macroscopic measurement of ulcer area, histological examination and biochemical analyses (Malondialdehyde level, Myeloperoxidase (index of neutrophil accumulation), Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Catalase (CAT) activities) were carried out in plasma and gastric tissue. Ethanol administration significantly (p<0.05) increased ulcer score and ulcer index, decreased percentage ulcer inhibition, increased MDA and MPO, decreased SOD and CAT activities. Histological findings show glandular destruction in the gastric mucosa and infiltration of inflammatory cells in ethanol only group. These effects were ameliorated with Allium cepa pre-treatment. The results obtained from this study demonstrate the ameliorative effect of Allium Cepa on ethanol-induced gastric injury by reduction in gastric neutrophils infiltration and increased antioxidant activities. Keywords: Gastric, Allium Cepa, Neutrophil, Myeloperoxidas

Evaluation of Age Related Changes Associated with Exposure of Wistar Rats to Dichlorvor on some Haematological Parameters

Different studies proved that exposure over prolonged periods to pesticides increase the likelihood of developing adverse effects. 2,2-dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate (DDVP) is a predominant pesticide used in controlling insects. Therefore this study was aimed to investigate the age related changes in hematological indices of animals exposed to DDVP. Thirty healthy male Wistar rats were used in this study. Animals were grouped into three major groups of ten animals each. Group one animals served as young group (5 - 6 weeks) while group two and three was the middle-aged (2 months) and old groups (3-4 months) respectively. All the groups were subdivided into control and DDVP group with five animals in each subgroup. The DDVP groups were exposed to DDVP for five weeks. At the end of fifth week, they were euthanized with blood collected through cardiac puncture, hematological indices were analysed with autohematological analyzer.Exposure to DDVP significantly increased white blood cell counts and basophiles in old group. Platelets count and plateletcrit (PCT) were significantly decreased in young animals that were exposed to DDVP while platelet distribution width (PDW) and Mean platelets volume (MPV) were not significantly different across the groups. Red blood cells count, Hematocrit, Hemoglobin concentration, Mean cell volume, Mean cell hemoglobin and Mean cell hemoglobin concentration also show no significant difference across groups. Exposure of Wistar rats to Dichlorvos has no impact on haematological parameters in middle agerats. However, dichlorvos affects young and old animals proving age dependent effect of DDVP on hematological parameters. Keywords: DDVP, hematology, white blood cells, platelet, ag

Relationship between the plasma testosterone level and pain reaction times in male rats

Male prepubertal (about 4 weeks old) Wistar rats were used to estimate the pain reaction times using the tail-flick and hot-plate models; the testosterone concentration in all the animals before the tests in the blood plasma was measured. The same sets of animals were kept for the next 4 weeks under standard conditions; the experiment was repeated, and pain reaction times were also evaluated in the 8-week-old rats with blood samples collected to determine the plasma testosterone level. The results showed significant (P < 0.01) increases in the pain reaction times in both pain models in pubertal animals observed in a parallel manner with a corresponding significant (P < 0.01) increase in the plasma testosterone level. Therefore, age and sex are important factors in the choice of animals in pain experiments.У щурів-самців препубертатного віку (чотири тижні) вимірювали латентні періоди больових реакцій в умовах тестів «відсмикування хвоста» та «гарячої пластинки»; у всіх тварин перед тестами вимірювалася концентрація тестостерону в плазмі крові. Ці ж самі групи тварин утримувалися протягом чотирьох тижнів у стандартних умовах, після чого експеримент повторювали на восьмитижневих щурах (вимірювали час больових реакцій та рівень тестостерону). Для тварин, що досягли віку статевої зрілості, було характерне істотне (P < 0.01) збільшення латентних періодів больових реакцій в обох використаних моделях, що відбувалося паралельно з відповідним вірогідним (P < 0.01) збільшенням рівня тестостерону в плазмі. Отже, вік і стать є найважливішими факторами при відборі тварин для проведення експериментів з больовою стимуляцією