Acute toxicity profile of chlorpheniramine: Potential use as antidote to dichlorvos poisoning

Introduction: Pesticide poisoning is a serious public health concern all over the world. Alternative therapies for organophosphorus poisoning are being explored, and this could be very useful especially in emergency situations of antidote shortages. This study therefore set out to determine the effects of chlorpheniramine on the kidney and liver function in dichlorvos poisoning. Methodology: Chlorpheniramine (2mg/kg, 4mg/kg, and 8mg/kg), atropine (0.4mg/kg, 0.8mg/kg, and 1.6mg/kg) and dichlorvos (4mg/kg) were all administered intraperitoneally. Administration was done for 14 days, after which the animals were sacrificed under chloroform anaesthesia and blood samples collected for liver and kidney function tests. Results: Chlorpheniramine and atropine offer some protective effects as they both reduced the raised values of the renal enzymes towards that of the control following dichlorvos poisoning. Chlorpheniramine and atropine counteracted the effect of dichorvos on Na+, K+, Cl- and HC03-, by reducing the values closer to the normal range. However, the combination group significantly (p<0.05) reduced the values and gave normal values of 147mmol/L (Na+), 4.3mmol/L (K+), 127mmol/L (Cl-) and 18.3mmol/L (HC03- respectively) when compared with the control. Chlorpheniramine raised the value closer to the normal range and gave a value of 4.82g/dl, though this increase was not statistically significant. Atropine gave a value of 5.0g/dl which is within the normal range. The combination group (Atropine + Chlorpheniramine) gave a value of 5.6g/dl which is within the normal range and the difference was statistically significant when compared to the negative control (p<0.05). Chlorpheniramine reduced the elevation observed in the liver enzymes caused by dichlorvos poisoning (149.3U/L, 34.33U/L and 142.3U/L respectively). Conclusion: This study concludes that chlorpheniramine has protective property on the liver and kidney against dichlorvos toxicity.