SOME OF THE EFFECTS OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF MISTLETOE ON CADMIUM-INDUCED PREFRONTAL CORTEX DAMAGE IN WISTAR RATS

Yusuf U.A[1a], Adeeyo O.A[2], Tagoe C.N.B[1b], Oyewopo A.O [1c] Adenowo T.K[3a] , Caxton-Martins EA[3b]
Page No. 39-53

Cadmium is heavy metal that enters man’s system through various ways. It causes adverse effects on
various body tissues by inducing oxidative stress. Mistletoe leaf extract is been used to treat
various aliment in folk medicine till present day. This leaf extract contains antioxidants like
flavonoids, vitamin C and E. This study was carried out to investigate effects of mistletoe leaf
extract on the microanatomy of prefrontal cortex of Wistar rats exposed to cadmium. Twenty-four
adult Wistar rats weighing 150-200g were randomly grouped into four, Groups A, B, C and D each
containing six animals. Group A animals were not given any injection. Groups B and C animals
were injected intraperitoneally with 14mg of cadmium per kg body weight of animals, while group
D were not injected also. Groups C and D were administered orally with 40mg of mistletoe aqueous
extract per kg body weight of the animals. Whereas Groups A and B were administered orally
equivalent volume of distilled water. After four weeks, the prefrontal cortices were excised for H&E
and cresyl fast violet staining. Histological section of Group B animals shows the population of
both granular and pyramidal cells appeared reduced with dead cell and sparsely stained Nissl
substance. Groups A and D histological section shows almost similar cytoarchitecture, the granular
and pyramidal cells appeared normal with round and triangular shaped structured respectively
whereas Group C shows little densely stained cells with reduced dead cell and the Nissl substance
almost similar to Group A.The above findings showed that aqueous extract of mistletoe reduced the
adverse effects caused by cadmium on the rat prefrontal cortex.
Key words: Cadmium, Mistletoe, Prefrontal cortex, H&E and CFV.