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ABSTRACT
The use of Lead acetate in antifouling paints, waterproofing, insecticides and the gold cyanidation process makes it a potential risk in the development of hepatotoxicity. Mistletoe is one of the important medicinal plants that possess a lot of phytochemicals, which plays a very important role in medicine. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of aqueous extract of mistletoe on lead acetate induced hepatotoxicity in Adult Wistar rats. 25 Adult Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups; each group containing 5 rats. Group A served as control while B,C,D and E served as treatment groups. The Wistar rats were fed with grower mash feeds and the rats had free access to water throughout the entire study period. Group A which served as control was given food(feed mash) and 1ml of distilled water, Group B were given Mistletoe ( 200mg/kg body weight) + lead actetate (10mg/kg body weight), Group C were given Mistletoe (400mg/kg body weight) + and lead actetate (10mg/kg body weight), Group D were given Mistletoe ( 800mg/kg body weight) + and lead actetate (10mg/kg body weight), Group E were given lead acetate only (10mg/kg bodyweight) . The experiment lasted for 28 days. At the end of the treatment period, the rats were anesthetized using chloroform, blood was collected for biochemical assay. The livers were harvested and weighed and immediately fixed in formal-saline to avoid autolysis and taken through tissue processing. Results showed increased ALP and AST levels in group treated with Lead-acetate only, while groups administered with mistletoe alongside lead acetate at different doses showed no significant difference when compared with control; indications of normal ALP and AST activity being restored. Likewise, there was significant decrease in albumin and globulin levels in lead acetate-treated rats and subsequent reversal in groups administered with mistletoe alongside lead acetate at different doses. Histological results showed that the mistletoe treated liver showed normal morphology without necrosis when compared with the control groups. In contrast, lead acetate treated liver section showed zonal necrosis as well as periportal infiltrates of inflammatory cells and contrasting features.
