Lipid Profiles and Liver Function Parameters of Postpartum Rats Administered Dry Lake Salt (Kanwa)

Background: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPMC) is a rare but devastating cardiac failure of indeterminate etiology occurring in late pregnancy or early puerperium. Dry lake salt (Kanwa) is usually consumed in many parts of Nigeria as laxatives. In the Northern Nigeria, with a high prevalence of PPMC, it is consumed postpartum in large quantities as a traditional practice.

Objectives: This work investigated the effect of kanwa on serum lipid profile, some liver function indices, blood pressure and body weight of postpartum rat administered graded doses of kanwa.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of biochemistry, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, between July 2012 and February 2013.

Methodology: The female rats were grouped into 4 of five animals each postpartum. The rats in the groups were administered 0 mg/kg (control), 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, and 300 mg/kg body weight respectively of Kanwa orally for four weeks.

Results: The results indicated a significant decrease in HDL-C [group III - 13.20±10.7 mg/dl and group IV - 10.95±9.97 mg/dl] when compared with the controls (p<0.01). There is significant increase in TAG especially in group IV (357.30±25.76), while all other lipid profile parameters (T.CHOL, VLDL-C, and LDL-C) assayed were found to have no significant different from the control (p>0.05). However, there is a non significant (p>0.05) increase in atherogenic index of the treated group as compared with the control. Moreover, blood pressure as well as body weight results are all considered not significantly different from control (p>0.05). Lastly, the liver function indices are all found to have no significant changes from the control also.

Conclusions: The result indicated that kanwa may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of the PPMC.