Histo-Architectural and Biochemical Changes in Kolaviron Induced Sleep Deprivation in Male Wistar Rats

Organisms survive by maintaining a dynamic equilibrium with their environment. Stress is a state of threat to this equilibrium, and adaptation to stress, or allostasis, confers a survival advantage. Sleep deprivation constitute a biological stress implicated in many homeostatic alterations including weight loss, reduction in thymic weight, increased adrenal weight, elevated corticosterone and ACTH levels. This study sought to investigate the effects of ‘kolaviron extract’ on the biochemistry and histo-architecture of selected visceral. Thirty (30) male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into five (5) groups of six (6) rats each [A=Control, B=Sleep Deprived (SD), C=Kolaviron Extract (KE), D=KE+SD, and E=KE+SD]. While groups D and E respectively received 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg of extract in sleep deprived state, group C was given 200 mg/kg of extract without sleep deprivation. Groups A and B were each administered 1 ml of the vehicle (1% tween 80 solution) in normal-sleep and sleep-deprived states respectively. Following a two-week period of administration of test substance for 14 days, animals were euthanized, weights measured (weekly while administration lasted) and blood samples collected for assay of biochemical stressors. Selected organs were also harvested for histological analysis. At p < .05, Analysis of variance test (ANOVA) returns that Kolaviron extract decreases oxidative stress resulting from sleep deprivation in brain (specifically the pituitary gland and hypothalamus) and testicular tissues. It is recommended that further studies be made to check the possible impact(s) of kolaviron on other parts of the brain, with electron microscopy to evaluate any ultra-structural changes in the anterior pituitary and hypothalamus.