Volume 15, Issue 35, January - June, 2021

Impact of Administration of Diclofenac on Cardiac Biomarkers of Adult Male Albino Rats

Okwakpam FN^♦, Abarikwu S, Monanu MO

Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Nigeria

^♦Corresponding author
Felicia Nmeazi Okwakpam Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria Email: feliciaokwakpam@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

Non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Diclofenac are in common use worldwide for the treatment of conditions such as pain, rheumatoid arthritis, and musculoskeletal disorders. The efficacy of this drug in alleviating pain has made it prime choice in the management of cancer and sickle cell disease patients. antipyresis and analgesia. In spite of their beneficial effects, NSAIDs have been notified to enhance the risk of heart attack and stroke the present study was conducted to investigate the impact of short-term administration of different doses of diclofenac on cardiac biomarkers. Twenty male albino rats weighing 150-200g were divided equally into four groups. The rats in the control group were orally administered distilled water. The other three groups were given diclofenac doses. The rats in the first (n=5), second (n=5), and third (n=5) groups were orally administered diclofenac dose of 150, 100 and 50mg/kg live weight/day, respectively, every day for seven days. At the end of the experimental period, the animals were sacrificed, blood samples were taken from the animals by Cardiac puncture under general anesthesia and afterwards rats were immediately euthanized. Cardiac tissue samples were prepared for histological assessment. Rat – specific cardiac Troponin (T) level showed that the group administered 150 and 100mg/kg Diclofenac (DIC) increased significantly (p<0.05) when compared to the control while that of 50mg/kg had no significant difference. Creatinine Kinase-MB, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate amino transferase (AST) Activity increased significantly when compared to control. This increase is dose-dependent with the highest dose having more serum activity than the low dose. The histological examination of the heart shows that the high dose imposed cardiac injury while the low dose had no effect on the heart. In conclusion, these results suggest that high dose of diclofenac may cause cardiac injury while low dose may cause little or no cardiac injury even at short term administration.

Keywords: Non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), Diclofenac, Cardiac biomarkers, Histology

Drug Discovery, 2021, 15(35), 103-107

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