SERUM VITAMIN LEVELS IN FEMALE WISTAR RATS ADMINISTERED WITH DIFFERENT DOSES OF PARACETAMOL AND PARACETAMOL/METHIONINE – AN ACUTE STUDY

Abstract

Testosterone has been identified to play a role in the metabolism of paracetamol in the CD 1 mouse, resulting in differences in renal presentations of male and female mice. Moreover, alterations have been observed in the serum levels of vitamins in male Wistar rats administered with paracetamol/methionine. The aim of this study is to determine if the sex of an animal plays a role in serum vitamin presentation in the Wistar strain after paracetamol/methionine administration. This will be achieved by comparing observation made from this study with an earlier one on male Wistar rats. Moreover, comparison of presentations at the 4^th & 16^th hours will be carried out, so as to establish how earlier in the course of exposure to paracetamol/methionine vitamin alteration takes place. Female Wistar Rats consisting of eight rats per group were administered with different doses of paracetamol & paracetamol/methionine (5:1) ranging from 350-5000 mg/kg. Results indicate that significant alterations (p<0.05) in the levels of all the vitamins commenced as early as the 4^th hour in both paracetamol & paracetamol/methionine administered groups. Moreover, significant alterations in the female rats parallel those of male rats obtained from an earlier study. Evidence from this study when compared with an earlier one indicates that sex probable plays no role on the impact of paracetamol on serum vitamins in Wistar rats.