Q: I am a researcher testing for some plant extracts for acute toxicity test in animal models (rats and mice). For which I have selected some enzymes like SGPT, SGOT, cholesterol and total protein to assess their changing levels (increase or decrease) before and after treatments. Some are found to be increasing and some decreasing. How do I justify or explain for the increase or decrease of the enzyme levels? Kindly acknowledge how acute toxicity of drug is assayed or carried out, and with regards to the selected assays?

A:The details of animal toxicology are given in Para 3 of the amended Schedule Y of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules. Please go through them. Generally animal toxicology studies comprise of acute toxicology in two species (mice and rats). Mortality is looked for up to 72 hours after parenteral and 7 days after oral administration. If SGPT/SGOT are raised, it will signify damage to the liver and/or heart muscles. There is hardly any chance of their going down since the base line is 0. An increase in cholesterol will show the inability of the animal to metabolise lipids. I cannot think of any reasons for cholesterol to go down unless the substance being administered has lipid lowering property like statins, nicotinic acid etc.