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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.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) as a leading cause of end-stage renal failure which has become source of concern recently. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of EAFL on the histomorphology and evaluate its effect on inflammatory markers in Streptozotocin- Induced diabetic Wistar rats. This study was conducted using thirty male Wistar rats. The animals were divided into five groups of 6 rats each (n=6). Group A was the control animals ( administered with 20 ml/kg/day of citrate buffer orally (p.o) stat for 4 weeks. Group B was induced with 65 mg/kg of streptozotocin in citrate buffer intraperitoneally stat and observe for four weeks without treatment. Group C,D and E were the test groups that received 65 mg/kg of streptozotocin in citrate buffer intraperitoneally stat and 20, 40 and 60 mg/kg/day of EAFL respectively for four weeks after induction of diabetes. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The results showed reduction in serum insulin levels in diabetic groups which was reversed to normal when the intervening agent (EAFL) was administered. The histology of the kidneys showed distortion in renal corpuscles which was reversed when EAFL was administered. The immunohistochemistry of kidney tissues in the normal group (A) showed areas of Ag-Ab immunological reactivity, however, there was no reactivity in the diabetic groups. The study concluded that EAFL has anti glycemic and anti inflammatory effect on the kidneys of Streptozotocininduced diabetic Wistar rats.