Pharmacophore an International Research Journal
Newzealand rabbits were purchased form Balsam pharmaceutical factory, weighed and divided into groups. Group 1 animals were the undosed controls. Test groups were given alum at dose rates of 1% for a period of 10 weeks after an adaptation period of two weeks during which the animals were under ideal experimental conditions. Clinical signs, postmortem and histopathological examinations were closely observed together with hematological changes in Hb, PCV, RBCs and WBCs. On alum challenge, Newzealand showed inappetance, nervous signs and were finally recumbent. The mortality rate was 100%. On atomic absorption only the lungs kept residual alum, while the livers washed-out the substance, may be via bile. Notably oral dosing with alum caused congested liver with white spots, stiff-greenish lungs and inflammed empty intestines. The un-dosed group 1 goats showed a normal picture. On histopathology, alum-dosed goats showed necrosis in the cortex and medulla of the kidney in one group member, emphysema in the lungs and necrosis in the hepatocytes and congestion in the liver. Practical implications of the results were highlighted and suggestions for future work were put forward.
