ASSESSING THE RISK OF LONG-ACTING OXYTETRACYCLINE ON IMMUNE PARAMETERS IN WISTAR ALBINO RATS

Abstract

Long-acting oxytetracycline is a commonly used antibiotic in veterinary medicine for treating respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. This study evaluated the effect of long-acting oxytetracycline on humoral and specific immune response in Wistar albino rats using phagocytic index as a measure of cell-mediated immune response. The rats were administered with long-acting oxytetracycline at 20 and 40 mg/kg body weight through intramuscular route, and sheep red blood cells were used as antigen to test immunological parameters. The study found that long-acting oxytetracycline did not affect the cell-mediated immune response in rats, as the phagocytic index remained unchanged in both non-antigen and antigen groups. In conclusion, this study suggests that long-acting oxytetracycline does not have any significant effects on the immune system of rats.