Effect of intramuscular administration of Echis ocellatus venom on some organs of wistar rats infected with T.b. brucei .

Abstract

Trypanosomes are haemo-flagellate protozoans that inhabit the blood plasma, the lymph and various tissues of their host causing disease in both humans and animals which has been described as a complex debilitating and often fatal condition leading to death in severe cases. Effect of intramuscular administration of Echis ocellatus venom on kidney and liver of wistar rat infected with T.brucei brucei was carried out using 30 wister rats divided into six groups of five rats each. Group 1 were infected and administered 400ml of venom, group 2 were infected and administered 200ml of venom, group 3 were infected and administered 100ml of venom, group 4 were infected and administered 25ml venom, group 5 were infected and not administered venom and group 6 were infected and treated with Diminzene diaceturate. It was observed that at 25ml of snake venom administration into wistar rats, there was a significant rise (0.68± 0.01*) in the weight of the kidney as compared to the remaining dosage administered as shown in Table 1. The mean weight of liver which showed an increase in size as compared to the remaining dosages at 400ml (5.33± 0.04*), where the liver was slightly or thinly affected, indicating that high dosage of venom can be lethal to the liver of wistar rats as seen in Table 2. This study showed that both kidney and liver infected with T.b.brucei without administering snake venom and treated with Diminazene diaceturate gained more weight indicating hepatomegaly and nephritis, therefore, it can be concluded that Echis ocellatus venom has potential ingredient in combating the disease.