Deleterious Effects of Amoxicillin on Immune System and Haematobiochemical Parameters of a Rabbit

Abstract

The present study is aimed at evaluating the haematobiochemical and immune system alterations in rabbit's exposure to amoxicillin. Thirty-two healthy rabbits were randomly divided into four (n = 8) groups comprising of three experimental groups and one control group. After 7 days of the acclimatization period, the study animals were given different doses of amoxicillin orally (100, 150, and 200 mg/kg body weight) for 21 days. The hematological results revealed that red blood cells, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration decreased significantly (P < 0.05) whereas white blood cells, neutrophils, and granulocyte exhibited a significantly increasing trend. Serum biochemical analysis showed a significantly increased concentration of HDL, LDL, serum globulin cholesterol, triglyceride, urea, uric acid, creatine, and calcium while plasma fibrinogen, blood sugar, albumin, and total protein were decreased significantly. Furthermore, liver function enzymes such as alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and bilirubin significantly increased. Antioxidant enzymes and oxidative stress parameters such as malondialdehyde concentrations (MDA) increased significantly while catalase, superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione, and peroxidase reduced significantly in antibiotic amoxicillin-treated groups as compared to the untreated control group (P < 0.05). Microscopic histopathological examination showed negative structural changes in liver, kidney, and heart tissues due to karyorrhexis; a disorganized hepatic cord in the liver; increased Bowman's space, necrotic renal tubules, and degenerative glomerulus in the kidney; and necrotic cardiac cells and cytoplasmic vacuolization in the heart, in antibiotic amoxicillin-treated rabbit groups as compared to the control group. In conclusion, amoxicillin induced stress and physiological and immunological impairments due to the adverse effects on haematobiochemical parameters and histopathological and tissue protein changes in target animals.

Figure 1

Photomicrograph of the liver (a); kidney (b), and heart (c) of treated rabbits (200 mg/kg body weight) showing different histopathological changes (400x, H&E stain).