Musanga cecropioides (Urticaceae) stem-bark mitigates sodium valproate –induced pantoxicity derangement in albino rats

Sodium valproate (SVPA) is indicated for the management of partial and generalized epilepsy with major limitation of pan-toxicity. Musanga cecropioides stem-bark (MCS) is used in ethnomedicine for multiple health benefits. The aim of the study was to test the ameliorative effect of MCS extract on SVPA-induced damage in rodent. The rats were administered with SVPA (500 mg/kg b.w. followed by MCS (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg b.w.) and reference drug, vinpocetine (25 mg/kg b.w.) orally and sub-acutely. The protective effects of MCS extract on their weights, hematological, biochemical, lipid, kidney and electrolytes profiles parameters were examined. Following rats sacrifice, the liver, kidney and lungs were subjected to histopathological analysis. The study indicated that SVPA significantly up-regulated the liver function enzymes (P< 0.001), lipid profile (P< 0.01-0.001), kidney function (P< 0.05–0.01) and electrolytes (P< 0.01–0.001) biomarkers and elicited gross alterations of measured indices. However, this effects were dose dependently reversed by MCS extract with higher hepatoprotective percentages, for liver enzymes (77-261%), lipid profiles (74–133%), electrolytes (59-169%) and kidney function (82–154%) compare to vinpocetine values of 63–103%, 80- 127%, 70–161%  and  27-78%,  respectively. No significant alteration in hematology and relative organ weights. The effect on histopathology corroborated biochemical study. Vinpocetine exhibit no therapeutic effect on the histopathological alteration of liver and kidney but only on the lungs. The presence of potential active ingredients in MCS extract confirms it as an alternative adjunctive therapy in abrogating SVPA – induced pan-toxicity derangement in rats.