ABSTRACT
Sexual dysfunction is seen as the impairment or disruption of any of the three phases of normal sexual functioning, which are delay or alteration of orgasm, loss of libido, and impairment of physiological arousal. Sexual performance is basically affected by age, psychiatric disorders, medical disorders, drugs and sexual dysfunction. Anthocleista djalonensis is widely used in African folk medicine to treat several conditions. This plant has been shown to be potent in the treatment of conditions like impotence, jaundice, hepatitis, fungal skin infection, sexual dysfunction, filarial worm infections, and as a laxative for treating constipation. This study was aimed at determining the histopathological effect of the methanolic stem extract of Anthocleista djalonensis on the kidney of paroxetine-induced sexual dysfunction in male Wistar rat, as well as the haematological parameters of the extract. Twenty-five animals were used for this study and they were placed in five different groups with five animals per group. Group 1 was the control group that received only feed, Group 2 and 3 received methanolic stem extract of Anthocleista djalonensis at graded doses. Group 4 received Tadalafil, while Group 5 was not treated. Sexual dysfunction was induced in all the groups with paroxetine. Haematological and parameters were analyzed using standard methods, and the results were represented as Mean ± Standard Error of Mean. The haematological results showed a non-significant difference (P>0.05) in Lymphocyte, Monocyte, Granulocyte and Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin when compared with the control group. There was a significant change (P<0.05) in Red Blood Cell, White Blood Cell, Haematocrit, Mean Corpuscular Volume, Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration, Haemoglobin and Platelet in the test group when compared with control. Histopathological study of the kidney showed no abnormalities in test and control groups. From this study, it shows that the methanolic stem extract of Anthocleista djalonensis has no adverse effect on the kidney. However, the standard drug, Tadalafil had a better effect on some haematological parameters than the extract, suggesting that the extract may be harmful at higher doses. Further work should be carried out to improve the effect of Anthocleista djalonensis on male sex hormones, such as testosterone, Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), and Luteinizing Hormone (LH).
