Effects of treatment with the anti-parasitic drug diminazene aceturate on antioxidant enzymes in rat liver and kidney

Diminazene aceturate (DA) is the active component of some trypanocidal drugs used for the treatment of animals infected with trypanosomosis and babesiosis. Residues of DA may cause hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic effects. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence of oxidative stress, i.e., changes in the antioxidant defense system of rats treated with a single dose of 3.5 mg kg^?1 of DA. All treatments were intramuscularly administered, and evaluations were performed on days 7 and 21 post-treatment (PT). Liver and kidney samples were collected and evaluated by histopathology and oxidative stress parameters (thiobarbituric acid-reactive species, catalase, superoxide dismutase, carbonyl, non-protein thiols, and reduced glutathione). Finally, blood was collected to determine seric DA concentration. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities in liver and kidney of rats were dramatically inhibited (p?p?p?>?0.05). Both non-protein thiols (NPSH) and glutathione (GSH) levels in liver and kidney decreased (p?