title: Safety evaluation of mercury based Ayurvedic formulation (Sidh Makardhwaj) on brain cerebrum, liver & kidney in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sidh Makardhwaj (SM) is a mercury based Ayurvedic formulation used in rheumatoid arthritis and neurological disorders. However, toxicity concerns due to mercury content are often raised. Therefore, the present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of SM on brain cerebrum, liver and kidney in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Graded doses of SM (10, 50, 100 mg/kg), mercuric chloride (1 mg/kg) and normal saline were administered orally to male Wistar rats for 28 days. Behavioural parameters were assessed on days 1, 7, 14 and 28 using Morris water maze, passive avoidance, elevated plus maze and rota rod. Liver and kidney function tests were done on day 28. Animals were sacrificed and brain cerebrum acetylcholinesterase activity, levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) in brain cerebrum, liver, kidney were estimated. The levels of mercury in brain cerebrum, liver and kidney were estimated and histopathology of these tissues was also performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SM in the doses used did not cause significant change in neurobehavioural parameters, brain cerebrum AChE activity, liver (ALT, AST, ALP bilirubin) and kidney (serum urea and creatinine) function tests as compared to control. The levels of mercury in brain cerebrum, liver, and kidney were found to be raised in dose dependent manner. However, the levels of MDA and GSH in these tissues did not show significant changes at doses of 10 and 50 mg/kg. Also, there was no histopathological change in cytoarchitecture of brain cerebrum, liver, and kidney tissues at doses of 10 and 50 mg/kg.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of the present study suggest that Sidh Makardhwaj upto five times the equivalent human dose administered for 28 days did not show any toxicological effects on rat brain cerebrum, liver and kidney.
authors.forename: Gajendra
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Amita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.forename: Surinder Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Yogendra Kumar
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D054022:Cerebrum / Q000187:drug effects*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000187:drug effects; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008515:Medicine, Ayurvedic; D008627:Mercuric Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D045442:Rotarod Performance Test; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D008315:Malondialdehyde; D008627:Mercuric Chloride; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D005978:Glutathione