English

Abstract

In determining the effect of P. thonningii leaf extract on serum lipid profile in male Wistar albino rats following indomethacin induced mucosa onslaught . Thirty six (36) male rats were divided into six (6) groups of 6 rats each. Group one (1) served as control and was given 0.5ml of normal saline (vehicle). Group three (3), five (5) and six (6) were given 100, 100 and 200mg/kg body weight of the extract while group two (2) was treated with 100mg/kg body weight of the standard drug (Cimetidine). The vehicle and extract were administered orally while the drug was administered intra-muscularly for 12 days. After 12days of administration all rats were fasted for 24 hours, gastric ulceration was then induced by the administration of 40mg/kg indomethacin orally to group 2, 4, 5 and 6 respectively. Twelve (12) hours after indomethacin administration all rats were sacrificed after been anaesthetized with chloroform, blood was collected by cardiac puncture and serum collected for the determination of lipid profile using standard methods. The result depict a significant (P<0.05) increases in serum total cholesterol when compared with the control. The treatment also produced a significant (P<0.05) increase throughout the experimental group for serum triglyceride when compared with the control. The biochemical and physiological alterations in this study following indomethacin mediated mucosa onslaught suggest that the extract treated groups might be shielded against cardiovascular related disorder but it appears that cimetidine and indomethacin treated groups might be predisposed to cardiovascular derangements such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction and coronary heart diseases but the mechanism is not yet fully understood.