Hepatotoxic and Nephrotoxic Effects of Kerosene on Female Wistar Rats: a Comparison of Two Routes of Exposure

The aim of this study is to determine the hepato & nephrotoxic effects of kerosene in Wistar rats and compare the effects of oral and dermal routes of administration. Hepatic & renal indices such as alanine & aspartate aminotransferases, ?- glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, albumin, and globulin as well as urea, uric acid and creatinine were used as markers of study. Rats in dermal and oral route were administered with 0.4 ml/kg BW of kerosene for a period of thirty days. Results revealed that both routes of exposure resulted in hepatic and renal damage as the hepatic enzymes and renal indices were significantly increased compared (p < 0.05) with control. Using Student’s t test the oral route of administration was found to be more toxic than dermal route. Result of this suggests that exposure to kerosene can cause both kidney and renal damage and that the oral route of administration is more dangerous than dermal route.