title: Toxicity of Nerium oleander leaf extract in mice.
abstract: Non-lethal dose of 70% ethanol extract of the Nerium oleander dry leaves (1000 mg/kg body weight) was subcutaneously injected into male and female mice once a week for 9 weeks (total 10 doses). One day after the last injection, final body weight gain (relative percentage to the initial body weight) had a tendency, in both males and females, towards depression suggesting a metabolic insult at other sites than those involved in myocardial function. Multiple exposure of the mice to the specified dose failed to express a significant influence on blood parameters (WBC, RBC, Hb, HCT, PLT) as well as myocardium. On the other hand, a lethal dose (4000 mg/kg body weight) was capable of inducing progressive changes in myocardial electrical activity ending up in cardiac arrest. The electrocardiogram abnormalities could be brought about by the expected Na+, K(+)-ATPase inhibition by the cardiac glycosides (cardenolides) content of the lethal dose.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Garyounis, Post Box: 9480, Benghazi, Libya.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Haeba
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: A W R
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Mehdi
authors.forename: G Achuthan
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Nair
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D030007:Nerium / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000633:toxicity; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts