Detection of Ivermectin Toxicity Using Some Biochemical and Immunological Assays in Mice

Abstract

O UR study aims to detect acute and subacute toxicity caused by ivermectin by using some biochemical and immunological assays in mice. Non-lethal toxic doses of ivermectin (30 and 60) mg/kg.B.Wt. caused a pronounced significant decrease in the concentration of glutathione (GSH) in the brain and liver of mice after 1 and 7 days of treatment as a result of oxidative stress caused by poisoning with this drug, it's also caused a significant increase in the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in the brain and liver of mice compared to the control group.The results of our experiments did not show apparent effects in the immune response of mice to poisoning with non-lethal toxic doses of ivermectin, as its development was very simple in the concentrations of some cytokines as the concentration of interleukin-6 (IL-6) & tumer necrosis alpha (TNF-α) in the blood plasma of mice after 1 and 7 days of treatment. Mice poisoned with ivermectin at doses (75 and 100) mg /kg B. wt. after oral dosing showed a significant decrease in acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activity with inhibition rates of up to (25 and 33 %) in the blood plasma of mice and (75 and 68%) in the brain respectively, high percentages indicated a significant inhibition of enzyme activity compared to the control group after 4 and 24 hr of treatment.Inspite of the clinical saftey of ivermectin, our results showed that the drug produces toxic biochemical effects at a level of oxidative stress , cholinesterase activity not reported before.