Alafia Barteri is Associated with Increased Cd4 Cell Counts and Distortion of the Nephrons in Male Wistar Rats
Fred Ssempijja 1 , Salihu Mariama 2 , Ibe Michael Usman 1 , Olamide Adewale Adesanya 1 and Ojewale Abdulfatai Olakunle
1Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Mc Pherson University, Nigeria
2Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Kampala International University Uganda
3Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Federal University of Oye Ekiti Nigeria
4Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Nigeria
*Corresponding Author: Olatayo Segun Okeniran, Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Mc Pherson University, Nigeria.
Abstract
Alafia barteri Oliver (Hook F. Icon: Apocynaceae) is used in African traditional medicine on various ailments with pharmacological potential, information on the immunological and toxic effects remain scarce. This study establishes immunological and toxic effects of the ethanol Alafia barteri extract in male Wistar rats. An ethanol Alafia barteri leaf extract was prepared using previous standard methods by Solanki & Nagori 2012; Sunmonu & Afolayan 2013. The Wistar rats were divided into three groups (n= 5). Group I (control) received 2 mL of distilled water; Group II, III received 200, 300 mg/kg extract respectively for five weeks. The body and kidney weights, CD4 count, serum creatine and urea, kidney histology were analyzed using standard protocols. 4% and 6% of the LD50 showed significant increase in CD4 count (P< 0.0001) with 15.26 ± 1.477 cells/mm3 (control) compared to 28 ± 1.283, and 95.48 ± 1.197 cells/mm3 in the 4% and 6% doses respectively, in a dose-dependent manner (P< 0.0001). There were no significant changes (P> 0.05) in body and kidney weights, serum creatine, and urea. Histologically, 200 mg/kg of the extract was associated with dilatation while 300 mg/kg led to shrinkage in the nephrons. The extract was associated with CD4 cell numbers and osmotic histomorphology changes in the nephrons, with no evidence of changes in organ and bodyweights, serum creatinine, and urea. The findings strengthen opinions that plant extracts can be harmful to the kidneys and that Apocynaceae can modulate immunity.
Keywords: Apocynaceae; Body weight; Kidney weight, Kidney function; Kidney function tests; Urea, Creatinine, CD4 cells, Kidney histology, Immunology
Citation: Okeniran OS, Adeeyo OA, Adeyemi AO, Ssempijja F, Mariama S, Usman IM, Adesanya OA, Olakunle OA. “Alafia Barteri is Associated with Increased Cd4 Cell Counts and Distortion of the Nephrons in Male Wistar Rats” SVOA Microbiology 3:2 (2022) Pages 27-38.
