Department of Physiology

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https://testir.kiu.ac.ug/handle/20.500.12306/1567

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Browsing Department of Physiology by Subject "Rats"

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    Anticonvulsant and toxicity effects of ethanolic extract of Thevetia Peruviana (Pers.) leaves
    (Premier Publishers, 2016) Izo, Ninsiima Herbert; Kirimuhuzya, Claude; Okello, Samuel
    Epilepsy is a neurologic condition due to disordered firing of brain neurons characterised by seizures. Most currently available antiepileptic drugs are synthetic and do not offer a complete cure yet with devastating side effects. Studies have shown that extracts from certain plants can produce anticonvulsant effects and may, therefore be useful against epileptic seizures. To investigate anticonvulsant effect of ethanolic extract of the leaves of Thevetia peruviana on chemically induced seizures in Wister rats. Leaves of T. peruviana were pulverised and extracted with ethanol. Graded doses of the ethanolic extract were used to test for the anticonvulsant effect of the extract using pentylenetetrazole model of seizures in rats. Acute toxicity testing and phytochemical analysis were done using Lorke’s method. Graded doses of T. peruviana leaf extract significantly delayed onset of seizures. They protected animals from death due to pentylenetetrazole-induced tonic seizures. There was no death up to 3000mg/kg. The extract was found to be rich in essential oils, flavonoids, alkaloid, phenols, proteins and resins. The ethanolic extract of the leaves of T. peruviana contains compounds with anticonvulsant effects since it protected the animals from death and delayed the onset of seizures produced by pentylenetetrazole and that is relatively safe.
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    Hypoglycaemic Effect of Lycopene in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Wistar Rats
    (British Journal of Medicine & Medical Research, 2015-03-31) Ejike, Daniel Eze
    Aim: The study was designed to investigate the hypoglycaemic potential of lycopene in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic Wistar rats. Methodology: To achieve this, a total of thirty (30) adult Wistar rats of both sexes were used. The animals were made diabetic by single intraperitoneal injection of freshly prepared (60 mg/kg body weight) of STZ. Diabetes was confirmed by the presence of high blood glucose ≥ 200 after 72 hr. Diabetic animals were divided into six (6) groups (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) comprising five animals each. Animals in Group 1 (Diabetic control) and Group 2 (Normal control) received 0.5 ml of olive oil, while those in groups 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 were administered 10, 20, 40 and 2 mg/kg b w of lycopene and glibenclamide respectively orally once daily for a period of four weeks. After the last day of treatments, all animals were sacrificed and blood samples collected and the serum separated for determination of serum insulin concentration. The liver tissue was excised and homogenized in equivalent volumes of phosphate buffer for the determination of hepatic glucokinase enzyme activity. Results: The results obtained showed that lycopene at all doses significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the blood glucose concentration steadily from (431.4±48.84 mg/dL) to (171.1±7.65, 118.4±1.97 and 100.8±6.89 mg/dL) after four weeks of treatment. The Serum insulin level was increased from (3.02±0.24 μIU/mL) to (4.02±0.70, 3.96±1.41 and 5.06±0.96 μIU/mL), but was not significant (P>0.05), when compared with diabetic control animals. The activity of hepatic glucokinase was significantly (P<0.05) increased from (8.78±1.11 ng/mL) to (11.96±0.54, 14.23±0.88 and 15.78±0.27 ng/mL), when compared with diabetic control group. Conclusion: It is therefore, suggested that antidiabetic-activity may be linked to enhanced glucokinase enzyme activity and not due to increased serum insulin level as the elevation was not statistically significant (P > 0.05) when compared with the diabetic control group. It is recommended that, lycopene may be used as a dietary component in controlling sustained hyperglycaemia in diabetes.