Abstract

HEPATO-RENAL TOXICITY OF KEROSENE FROM DERMAL AND ORAL EXPOSURE.

*Ayobola Abolape Iyanda

ABSTRACT

Objective: Due to lack of access to adequate medical care in Nigeria, kerosene or some other petroleum products are being used for the treatment of a number of clinical conditions. This therefore necessitates the need to study the impact of continuous exposure to trace amount of kerosene in female Wistar rats over a period of 3 weeks. Animals: Twelve rats were assigned to Groups 1 & 2 and administered with 0.3 ml/kg body weight of kerosene through either the oral and dermal route with the study being terminated after 1 week. Twelve other rats were assigned to Groups 3 (oral) and four (dermal) and given similar treatment as groups 1 and 2 with the study being terminated after 3 weeks. Six rats served as the control. Procedures: Blood was each animal through retro-orbital bleeding and serum obtained after centrifugation. Serum activities or levels of hepatic and renal indices were determined. Results: By the end of three weeks, all indices were significantly altered (p<0.05) in both oral and dermal groups compared with control whereas, after 1 week of exposure in oral and dermal group total protein, globulin, ALT, AST were significantly changed (p<0.05); ALP, GGT, urea, creatinine and uric acid were not significantly changed (p>0.05) compared with control. Conclusion: These results suggest both hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic effects of kerosene even at dose level of 0.3 ml/kg body weight.

Keywords: female rats; liver, kidney, kerosene.