Abstract

B. A. Falana *, E. A. Caxton-Martins and D. A. Ofusori

The crude extract of the leaves of Cissampelos mucronata A. Rich is generally used as an anti-abortifacient and known to posses uterine relaxant properties. The present study investigates the microanatomy of the kidneys of adult female wistar rats administered aqueous extract of C. mucronata orally. Twenty-four adult female Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups A, B ,C and D (n =6) in the animal holding of the department of Human anatomy University of Ilorin, Nigeria and fed with pellets from Ladoke farms, Ibadan. They were administered varying doses of aqueous extract of the leaves of C. mucronata for two weeks at a concentration of 0.01g/ml/kg body weight. Group A was administered water ad libitum, group B received 0.6 ml, while group C received 1.0 ml, and group D received 0.8 ml crude extract of C. mucronata for two weeks. Result of study indicated by the photomicrographs of transverse sections of the kidneys of the rats that received 1 ml aqueous extract of the leaves of C. mucronata for two weeks showed ruptured blood vessels with distorted cytoplasm compared with control sections. The basement membrane of the sections treated with 0.6 ml of extract was seen to be collapsed. In conclusion, the aqueous extract of the leaves of C. mucronata had deleterious effects on the blood vessels of the kidneys of adult female wistar rats.