الفهرس 
What causes depression?
Preparation of water extract of damiana:Only 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Antidepressants are a category of drugs that is used for the treatment the symptoms of depressive disorders by adjusting chemical imbalances of the neurotransmitters inside the brain. Amitriptyline is one of the first reference tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) with sedative and analgesic properties. Amitriptyline acts as a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, thereby increasing the concentration of these transmitters in the synapse. • Damiana (Turnera diffusa Willd) is a medicinal plant traditionally used as stimulant, diuretic and aphrodisiac Damiana possesses a large amount of essential oils and antioxidants, particularly flavonoids which could be responsible for its medicinal properties. • This study aims to investigate the protective and ameliorating role of damiana (Turnera diffusa) extract against Amtriptyline-induced liver and kidney toxicity, injury, DNA damage apoptosis and proliferation in male rats. • The experiment was performed on sixty male albino rats obtained from laboratory farms, Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, and Tanta University, Egypt. The rats were randomly and equally divided into six groups (10 rats each) group 1 (G1): control group that included animals that did not receive any treatment during the experimental period. group 2 (G2): Damiana group that included animals that orally (stomach tube) received Damiana (80 mg/kg body weight/daily) for four weeks. group 3 (G3): Amitriptyline (Tryptizol; El Kahira Pharm And Chem Ind Co) group in which rats were receiving orally Amitriptyline (70 mg/kg body weight/daily) (Amitriptyline tablets were crushed and dissolved in distilled water) for four weeks. group 4 (G4): Co-treated group in which experimental animals were receiving orally Amitriptyline for 4 weeks plus receiving orally Damiana for 4 weeks. group 5 (G5): Post-treated group in which rats were receiving orally with Amitriptyline for 4 weeks and followed by treatment with Damiana for successive 4 weeks. group 6 (G6): Self-treated group in which rats were receiving orally Amitriptyline for 4 weeks and left for self-healing without any drugs for another successive 4 weeks. • At the end of the experimental period, rats were fasted overnight. Rats from each group were euthanized by intravenous injection with sodium pentobarbital for complete dissection. • Blood and serum samples were individually collected from the inferior vena cava of each rat in heparinized and non-heparinized glass tubes. Serum was separated and kept in clean stopper glass vials and stored at - 18° C until estimation of blood parameters. Liver and kidney from each rat was divided to two groups. First was stored at -20˚C till comet assay estimation, 2nd part were fixed for histological and immunohistochemical studies. • Amitriptyline treated group showed a significant increase in liver and kidney DNA damage (P < 0.05) that was indicated by increase in tail length, tail DNA% and tail moment as compared to normal control and damiana groups. This increased DNA damage was reduced in co-treated (G4), post-treated (G5), self-cured (G6) with lowest damage in G4 and G6. • Section of liver in Amitriptyline group (G3) showed marked degenerated and vacuolated hepatocytes, congestion in central veins and portal vein, surrounded by leucocytoc infiltrations, cytoplasmic vaculation and the nuclei are pyknotic indicating apoptosis, moderate fibrosis, and marked diffuse necrosis of hepatic tissue. On the hand; liver sections in Amitriptyline self-recovered (G6) showed no improvement in liver structure. Rat liver section in co-treated Amitriptyline with Damiana (G4) showed good degree of improvement in liver structure moderate vacuolated hepatocytes, moderate cytoplasmic vaculations, marked diffuse necrosis of hepatic tissue and congestion in both central & portal veins were observed. Rat liver section in post treated Amitriptyline with Damiana (G5) showed normal large polygonal cells with prominent round nuclei and eosinophilic cytoplasm, and few spaced hepatic sinusoids arranged in-between the hepatic cords with fine arrangement of Kupffer cells.