Antihypertensive activity and lipid-lowering effect of tree wormwood (Artemisia arborescens) on rats intoxicated with Aluminium chloride

Abstract

The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of the aqueous extract of Artemisia arborescens to reduce the effects of Aluminium chloride (AlCl3) on lipid parameters, blood pressure and on histological archi-tecture of sections from liver and heart of rats. Forty-eight female Wistar rats weighting 125±25g were randomly divided into four equal groups of twelve rats each. The animals were given a dose of (AlCl3) (20mg.k-1.bw) three times a week intraperitoneally and the aqueous extract of A.arborescens orally (200mg.L-1) for 06 weeks. Total cholesterol, triglycer-ides, phospholipids, HDLc, LDLc, and LDH were measured in serum and total cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, TBARS in liver. The blood pressure was also recorded. Results revealed that AlCl3 caused an increase in total cholesterol and triglycerides levels, LDLc, Tchol/HDLc Ratio and LDH in serum and total cholesterol, triglycerides and TBARS in liver; however, HDL in se-rum and phospholipids in serum and hepatic tissue were decreased. AlCl3 caused elevation of the diastolic and systolic arterial blood pressure of rats and caused hepatocytic degenerations, necrosis and severe vascular conges-tion in liver, in addition to disruption of the myocardial fibers, necrosis of myocardial cells and congestion of inter-muscular capillaries in heart, while the aqueous extract of A.arborescens ameliorates these effects near to their normal values. This study suggested that the aqueous extract of A.arborescens showed lipid-lowering and hypotensive effects that protect the liver and heart against aluminium toxicity and that could possibly restore the altered hepatic and cardiac cells organization in rat intoxicated with aluminium.