Increases In Plasma Urea And Creatinine In Experimental Trypanosoma Brucei Infection Is Influenced By Scoparia Dulcis

Abstract

Alterations in both plasma urea and creatinine levels were monitored over a period of twenty eight (28) days in experimentally infected rabbits. A total of 15 animals were randomly divided into three groups of n=5. The groups were control (group I), infected and treated (group II) and infected but untreated (group III) Administration of Scoparia dulcis at a daily oral dose of 25mg/kg body weight resulted in significant reduction (p<0.05) in the parasite-induced elevations in both plasma urea and creatinine in treated animals when compared with those that were infected but denied the herbal therapy. In addition, the onset of these lesions was delayed in the treated group in which hyperuaemia and hypercreatinaemia were observed on day 21 and beyond as against 14 for both parameters in the infected and untreated group. Thus the herb demonstrates significant potency in the control of trypanosome-induced increases in plasma levels of urea and creatinine in rabbits

Keywords: Trypanosoma brucei, urea, creatinine, Scoparia dulcis.

Annals of Biomedical Science Vol. 4 (1) 2005: pp. 35-41