Organ directed toxicity of halquinol in a repeated dose 28 day oral toxicity study in female rats

Objective : The study was undertaken to assess the organ directed toxicity of halquinol in female wistar albino rats.
Materials and Methods : Halquinol was administered orally by gavage at the dose of 0 (control), 150 (low), 450 (intermediate) and 1000 (high) mg/kg body weight daily for a period of 28 days to four groups of rats (n=6). Each rat was weighed at the beginning and at weekly intervals thereafter till the end of the study. Blood and serum samples were analyzed on Day 0, 14 and 28 for haematological parameters viz, Hb, Hct, TEC, MCV, MCH, MCHC, TLC and DLC and serum biochemical parameters viz, ALP, ALT, AST, TSP, TA, BUN and Creatinine respectively. At the end of the study organs were weighed and organ to body weight ratios were calculated. The representative tissue samples were processed for histopathological examination.
Results : The body weight in the intermediate and high dose group was significantly (P< 0.01) lower than the control group. The Hb, TEC and MCHC decreased significantly (P< 0.01) whereas MCV increased significantly (P< 0.01) in high dose group. Serum biochemical parameters viz, ALP, ALT, BUN and creatinine significantly (P< 0.01) increased in intermediate and high dose groups. Organ to body weight ratio in case of liver and kidney was also significantly (P< 0.01) higher in high dose group. Histopathology of liver and kidney from intermediate and high dose groups revealed marked pathological alterations.
Conclusion : From the present study it was concluded that at intermediate and high dose, halquinol was hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic in female rats.

Keywords
Biochemistry, halquinol, hepatotoxicity, histopathology, nephrotoxicity.