Effects of Caffeine on Cardiovascular Toxicity in Adult Wistar Rats

Abstract

Caffeine has been used for thousands of years. When taken in excess, caffeine can have negative effects on the body's overall health, including the cardiovascular system. Hence, the objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of caffeine on the cardiovascular toxicity in adult Wistar rat's using histological techniques. Twenty rats were randomly divided into four groups. Group A was the normal control group (no caffeine administration). Groups B, C and D were the caffeine intoxicated groups treated with 200, 400, and 800mg/kg body weight of caffeine. Animals in groups B-D received daily oral administration of caffeine for thirty days. The study's findings demonstrated that caffeine is a somewhat cardio-toxic substance that altered the structure of the Wistar rats' hearts in a dose-dependent manner. Caffeine administration at varying levels resulted in the heart muscle exhibiting distinct separation of neighboring muscle fibers, vascular distortion, and myocardial degeneration accompanied by vascular congestion in all caffeine-treated groups. The group that received greater dosages of caffeine showed more severe insults, indicating that the effects of caffeine were dose-dependent. The data obtained from this study suggests that caffeine induces cardio-toxicity in ascending manner of dose dependent pattern in adult Wistar rats.