Subchronic dichlorvos-induced Cardiotoxicity in Wistar rats: Mitigative efficacy of Nigella sativa oil

BACKGROUND: Accidental poisoning from indiscriminate use of organophosphates have become endemic in recent decades, most especially in developing nations, coupled with the limitations of the availability of satisfactory antidotes. AIM OF THE STUDY: Thus, we investigated the cardioprotective efficacy of Nigella sativa oil (NSO) following dichlorvos dichlorvos (DDVP)-induced cardiotoxicity in Wistar rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 24 Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 6); the control was administered sunflower oil (1 ml/kg), DDVP (8.8 mg/kg) to the experimental Group I, whereas DDVP + NSO (8.8 mg/kg +1 ml/kg) and NSO (1 ml/kg) was administered orally to the experimental Groups II and III, respectively. The animals were euthanized; blood was transcardially collected from the right atrium, centrifuged, and plasma extracted to analyze levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). While cardiac muscle tissue was collected from the left heart, processed and stained for general architecture (hematoxylin and eosin) and elastic morphology (orcein). RESULTS: DDVP significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased the plasma levels of TC, LDL, atherogenic and atherosclerotic indices (TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C ratios), but this was prevented by co-administration with NSO. Histological investigations showed that DDVP resulted in the pathological appearance of cardiac tissues, such as the lack of striations, myocardial hemorrhage, and necrosis-like features. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that NSO was able to attenuate DDVP-induced cardiotoxicity.