Telfairia occidentalis Leaf Extract Protects the Cerebellar Cortex against Cisplatin-Induced Oxidative Damage in Wistar Rat

Abstract

Cisplatin therapeutic use is limited to its severe nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity and neurotoxicity by the generation of free radicals resulting in oxidative stress. This study evaluates the protective effects of Telfairia occidentalis (TO) leave extract against cisplatin-induced oxidative stress in the cerebellar cortex of Wistar rat. Forty adult male Wistar rats weighing between 160 g and 180 g were divided into 5 groups of 8 animals each. Group I rats received water and served as the control group. Group II rats received 2.5 mg/kg intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of cisplatin for 2 weeks (twice weekly), group III rats received a combination of cisplatin and TO for 2 weeks (twice weekly), group IV rats received 400 mg/kg body weight of TO orally for 2 weeks (twice weekly), while group V rats received a combination of cisplatin and 500 mg/kg vitamin E orally for 2 weeks. Twenty-four hours after the last administration, the animals in all the groups were weighed done and killed. Their brains were dissected, weighed and some preserved for biochemical analysis (oxidative stress). The cerebella were fixed in 10% formol saline for histological and immunohistochemical studies. A decreased body weight, non-significant increased lipid peroxidation, decreased levels of catalase, as well as decreased Purkinje cell density and increased astrocyte population was observed in cisplatin-treated rats. Co-administration of TO and vitamin E with cisplatin, improved the changes observed above. In conclusion, 10 mg/kg body weight cisplatin administered intraperitoneally to adult male Wistar rats, induced mild oxidative damage in the cerebellum. Co-administration of 400 mg/kg body weight aqueous extract of TO, decreased the rate of oxidative damage induced by cisplatin.