EVALUATION OF DICLOFENAC (DCF) POTASSIUM AS A POSSIBLE PREDISPOSER OF BENIGN PROSTATIC ENLARGEMENT IN WISTAR ALBINO RATS

Diclofenac (DCF) Potassium drug is widely used in developing countries like Nigeria, because of its fast and speedy effect on pains. The high number of adult males falling victims to Bening Prostate Enlargement (BPE) made DCF-Potassium drugs and others suspects in the predisposition of BPH. Adult albino male rats were used and divided into 8 groups of four rats each. The groups included the control, standard (injected with 1ml of testosterone in olive oil) and 6 others groups which were fed with normal pellet and fat feed, treated with Diclofenac Potassium in solution of 0.2 ml, 0.4 ml, and 0.8 ml, respectively. The animals were denaturated, sacrificed and their blood samples were taken for laboratory analysis such as liver function test, kidney function test, lipid profile, prostate specific antigen (PSA), and heamatologicalical analysis. Values obtained were compared to the control (untreated) group and the standard group (treated with testosterone in olive oil). The comparison was done at 5% confidence limit (P < 0.05). The result showed that the groups treated with mid dose, experienced a significant elevation in total bilirubin, alkaline phoshatase and alanine aminotransferase concentrations. The concentration of Na+, CP and HCO3' decreased in the groups treated with mid and high dose while K+significantly incresead (P < 0.05), urea and creatinine were also elvated significantly (P < 0.05) increased in groups treated with mid and high dose. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol increased significantly in the groups treated with mid and high dose, PSA was increased when compared to the control group except for group 2. Haematological analysis showed significant (P < 0.05) decrease in white blood cell, red blood cell and haemoglobin when compared with the control. The results obtained suggest the possibilities that DCF-Potassium medication is a likely predisposser of BPE, kidney, liver and heart (lipid assay) disease. vi