No abstract

Malaria, the world's most devastating human parasitic infection, [1] is a vector-borne infectious disease which is caused by various single celled protozoans of the genus Plasmodium. Human malaria is transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes. [2] Most serious illnesses and deaths are attributed to Plasmodium (P.) falciparum which causes fevers that sometimes occur at less than 48-hour intervals. Symptoms like high fever, headache, drowsiness and confusion occur as the parasites spread to several other organs to cause other symptoms like jaundice, diarrhea and kidney failure. Malarial parasites have developed resistance to a number of anti-malarial medicines in many parts of the world. [2] Prompt and effective treatment with artemisinin-based combination therapies, usage of mosquito nets or insecticidal nets by people at risk, and indoor residual spraying of insecticide to control the mosquito vectors are important for elimination and control of malaria. [3]

Objectives: This study was designed to determine the morphometric and histological changes of the wall of the thoracic aorta in high salt-fed adult Wistar rats and the possible ameliorative effects of aqueous extract of garlic (Allium sativum).Methods: Twenty-five healthy female Wistar rats weighing 130-180 g were randomly assigned into five groups of five rats each (Groups A, B, C, D and E). Rats in Group A were fed with standard laboratory pellets, while Groups B, C, D and E were fed on the high-salt diet for five weeks. Thereafter, daily administration of 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg of the garlic extract were giving orally to Groups C, D and E, respectively for 3 weeks while rats in Groups A and B were administered distilled water. The thoracic part of descending aorta at the level of (T6-T7) was excised for histological studies. Paraffin sections were stained with haematoxylin and eosin, Masson's trichrome and Verhoeff-Van Gieson stains. One-way ANOVA was used to analyze data, followed by Student-Newman-Keuls (SNK) test for multiple comparisons.Results: High salt diet causes significant histomorphological changes on aorta of rats as evidenced by increase in tunica intima, media and adventitia of the aortic wall and decrease in luminal diameter; these findings were reversed by aqueous garlic extract administration. Conclusion:High salt diet increased the thickness of aortic wall and decreased luminal diameter which were significantly reversed by oral administration of garlic extract.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the beneficial effect of aqueous extract of garlic (Allium sativum) on the morphology of myocardium of left ventricle in high salt-fed diet Wistar rats.Methods: Twenty-five female Wistar rats weighing 130-180 g were divided into five groups (n=5, each). Group A were fed with standard laboratory pellets, while Groups B, C, D and E were fed a high-salt diet for five weeks. Following this, daily administration of aqueous garlic extract was done orally to Groups C, D and E, respectively for 3 weeks. The left ventricle of the heart was excised, processed in paraffin wax and stained with haematoxylin and eosin, Masson's trichrome and Verhoeff-Van Gieson stains. One-way ANOVA was used to analyze data, followed by Student-Newman-Keuls (SNK) test for multiple comparisons. Results:We found that the relative change in heart weight in the high salt-fed group was lower, though not statistically significant (p=0.175) than the control group. There was significant increase (p<0.05) in plasma levels of sodium and potassium in Group B when compared with control, but this was dose-dependently reversed by aqueous garlic extract in Groups D and E. Histological and histochemical results revealed morphological alterations in the left ventricle of Group B which were also reversed in Groups D and E. Conclusion:The results of this study indicate that high salt diet-induced histochemical and histomorphological changes in the left ventricle of Wistar rats were significantly reversed by oral administration of garlic extract.