| EDITORIAL |
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| Year : 2002 | Volume
: 34
| Issue : 5 | Page : 300 |
Cutting the foot to fit the shoe
B Gitanjali
Correspondence Address:
B Gitanjali
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
Objectives: Cleistanthus collinusa toxic plant, is frequently implicated in suicidal and homicidal poisoning. Its exact mode of toxicity is unravelled which is very essential to develop suitable strategy to antagonise toxicity. In congnisance with the prevailing situation of C.collinus the present study was undertaken to characterise the precise mode of action.
Methods: C.collinus leaf extract (20% w/v) was administered at 24h LD50 dose orally to 18h starved rats (8g Kg-1) and rabbits (l0gKg-1) which sacrificed after 180 minutes and vital organs were assayed for glutathione and ATPase.
Results: Glutathione profile revealed its depletion in various organs of rats (64.95% in liver, 51.60% in kidney, 15.60% in heart, 25.20% in brain and 27% in skeletal muscle) and in rabbits (42.60% in liver, 52.50% in kidney, 17.30% in heart, 13.50% in brain and 48.60% in skeletal muscle) as compared to that of the controls in the respective species. A similar trend of inhibition of ATPase activity was observed in the vital organs of rats (P<0.001, P<0.01) as well as in the case of rabbits (P<0.01).
Conclusion: It can be deduced from the present profile that C.collinus during its assualt causes a definite depletion/inhibition of thiol/thiol containing enzymes which is responsible for the manifestation of toxicity and the present finding could pave way for the selection of thiol compounds as probable antidotes to combat C.collinus toxicosis.
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