Comparative histopathological effects of aqueous, hexane extracts of Iraqi sweet almond (Prunus amygdalus) with atorvastatin for treating hyperlipidemia induced in mice

This research was carried out to find out the treatment impact of aqueous and hexane extracts of sweet almond (Prunus amygdalus) on some histopathological indicators of heart, aorta and liver related to hyperlipidemia that induced in mice and compare them with Atorvastatin. Sweet almond was dried and grinded by an electrical grinder to form fine crude powder that extracted by two ways: by using 95% hexane and water by using the distilled water with Soxhlet apparatus. Forty mature mice were randomly divided into 8 groups (5 mice per group) and treated every day for 60 days, the first group was fed and drank normally and regarded as a negative control group, a second group was given polypropylene glycol offered as negative control group, third group was given tap water containing 0.5% of hydrogen peroxide and 1% of cholesterol in the feed for 60 days for induction of hyperlipidemia and offered as positive control group. Hyperlipidemia was induced in the other five groups as in the third group. The treatment of hyperlipidemia was done by using hexane extract at a dose of 500 mg/ kg of body weight and aqueous extract of sweet almond with three different doses (500, 750 and 1000) mg/ kg of body weight and compared with the other group that treated with atorvastatin 20 mg/ kg B.W. as antihyperlipidemic drug. The outcomes discovered that histopathological changes of heart, aorta and liver exposed to hydrogen peroxide and cholesterol revealed congested blood vessels with inflammation relevant cells in their lumen with necrosis of hepatic cells and inflammation relevant cells collected in sinusoids and inner surfaces of the blood vessels and infiltration of macrophages and lymphocytes in the liver moreover to the infiltration of mononuclear cells in the heart while in the aorta showed the vacuolation in the sub intimae and vacuolation and increase the thickness of intimate layer. Furthermore, inflammation relevant cells particularly infiltration around aorta. While therapy with almond extracts and Atorvastatin lead to valuable changes in therapy of damaging happened in the heart, aorta and liver induced with hyperlipidemia. In addition a dose of 1000 mg/kg of aqueous extracts of sweet almond was the best in treatment of hyperlipidemia.