CYTOLOGICAL AND HISTOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF BARBITONE SODIUM ON SOME MAMMALIAN TISSUES

Abstract

Barbitone sodium is considered as one ofthe long acting sedative­ hypnotic drugs. These drugs belong to a group of agents that depress the central nervous system (C.N.S.) producing progressively calming or drowsiness, sleep, unconsciousness, surgical anaesthesia, coma, and fatal depression of respiration and cardiovascular regulation. They reversibly depress the activity of all excitable tissues. Certain barbiturates are used at high doses to induce or maintain surgical anaesthesia. Many sedative hypnotic drugs have been used at low doses to calm anxious patients. It is now clear that although hypnotic drugs are highly useful and beneficial, yet they could exert certain serious and dangerous effects. Barbitone sodium has been frequently encriminated for ce ain side effects which were noticed to occur in several body organs. Hence, the present work was constructed for assessment and evaluation of any histopathological and histochemical devastations which might arise in the liver of mice as a . consequence of barbitone sodium application. In addition, any chromosomal abnormalities which could occur in the bone marrow cells due to administration of the same drug were also studied.