Background: The chewing of khat leaves (Catha edulis Forsk) is widely practiced in East Africa and parts of the Middle East, where it forms a deep-rooted social and cultural function. Consumption of Khat is common among men but recently it has extended to women. Biochemical and toxicological effects of Khat on pregnancy and fetal development in lower animals has been noted. Studies on the effect of khat consumption has focused on men thus no data is available on women and especially during pregnancy. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of khat on liver and kidney functions during pregnancy using olive baboons as experimental models. Methods: Six pregnant olive baboons were randomly assigned into khat treatment group (n=3) that received 100mls of crude khat at a dose of 5 g/kg body weight/week for 8 weeks and the control group (n=3) received normal saline during the second trimester. Blood pressure, temperature and weight changes were measured weekly. Blood was collected to assay for liver and kidney function tests and liver and kidney tissues collected during necropsy for histopathological examinations. Results: The levels of aminotransferases, urea and creatinine in the khat treated group were significantly elevated compared to those in the control group. There was a decrease of body weight in the dams, fetal birth weight and levels of albumin and sodium in treatment group compared to those in the control group. Kidney and liver tissues of the baboons and their fetuses treated with khat showed necrosis, periportal fibrosis with focal degenerative changes, glomerular degeneration and infiltration with lymphocytes. Blood pressure was not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion: The findings show that crude khat may damage the liver and kidneys and modulate the levels of liver enzymes, urea, creatinine and electrolytes essential for liver and kidney functions. Khat is not safe and its use during pregnancy should be discouraged.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.