protective effects of aju mbaise extract against dutasteride-induced biochemical and haematological changes in rats

Background and aim: aju mbaise is a nutraceutical food supplement taken by nursing mothers within their first three months of delivery due to its health advantages. this study evaluated the protective potentials of aju mbaise extract on the renal functions, lipid profile, and haematological indices of dutasteride-induced rats. materials and methods: this study had sham control, dutasteride control, an extract group that received 1000 mg/kg of aju mbaise only, and dutasteride induced groups treated with 500 and 1000 mg/kg of aju mbaise orally for 28 consecutive days. results: dutasteride induction caused a remarkable increase in the serum urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium, and chloride ions and a considerable reduction in the serum bicarbonate ions in the dutasteride control compared to the sham control. the lipid profile indicated a significant increase in the total serum cholesterol, triacylglycerol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, along with a substantial decline in the serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol of the dutasteride control relative to the sham control. the haematological parameters, including red blood cell, packed cell volume, haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, and neutrophils, decreased significantly in the dutasteride control relative to the sham control. in contrast, the dutasteride control showed a significant increase in the mean corpuscular volume, white blood cell, platelet, and lymphocyte counts compared to the sham control. the treatment of dutasteride-induced rats with 500 and 1000 mg/kg of aju mbaise extract significantly restored the serum urea, creatinine, serum electrolytes, lipid profile, and haematological parameters to normal levels compared to the dutasteride control. none the rats had any observable alteration in the kidney histo-architecture. conclusion : our findings showed that aju mbaise extract could attenuate changes in renal functions, lipid profile, and haematological indices associated with dutasteride toxicity in rats.