Asian Journal of Research in Biochemistry

This study is aimed at investigating the effects of tamoxifen on lipid profile. In order to achieve this, tamoxifen was administered once daily intraperitoneally to the female rats at a dose of 2.07mg/kg body weight for 1 and 2 weeks, while a group of rats was allowed to recover for a week after 2 weeks of tamoxifen administration. Rats in the control group were similarly treated but were given corn oil instead of the drug. Tamoxifen administration caused perturbations of major lipids in the animals. Administration of tamoxifen for 1 week lowered cholesterol and triglycerides levels in the plasma by 23.63 % and 39.74 % respectively and in the low density lipoproteins and very low density lipoproteins (LDL+VLDL) by 79.72 % and 67.59 % respectively, while it increased high density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol by 3.44 fold. In the tissues, tamoxifen administration for 2 weeks did not significantly affect cholesterol and triglycerides levels but phospholipid levels in the liver, kidney and heart were lowered by 52.38 %, 42.98 % and 73.82 % respectively, while phospholipidosis was the hallmark of its effect in the spleen. The result of our study affirmed that tamoxifen exerts a favourable effect on lipid profile. The hypocholesterolemic and hypotriglyceridesmia effects of tamoxifen observed in this study may partially explain the    decrease in coronary heart disease related mortality seen in patients receiving tamoxifen treatment.