Abstract
This work amid to study the use of costus plant in the treatment of pulmonary infection caused by Aspergillus niger instead of the chemical drug (Amphotericin B), The experiments were conducted using 90 white male rats that were divided into the following groups : Group one consisted of the control 30 rats which orally administrated with distilled water. Group two comprised 10 rats treated with the fungus suspension. (0.4mg/kg b. wt.) Group three comprised 40 rats treated with costus plant extract and divided into four subgroups. Group four comprised 20 rats treated with Amphotericin B (0.2mg/kg) which was divided into two subgroups, then sacrificed and dissected. Then biopsies were taken from the lunges of the various groups of rats and placed in various fixatives in order to conduct the histological and ultrastructural studies. It could be observed from examination of the histological and ultrastructural sections of the lungs of the rats infected with the fungus, the appearance of numerous lymph inflammations especially around the bronchioles. In addition, some reduced with degenerative walls, In case of rats treated with costus extract, the lung tissues appeared normal. Also the rats infected with fungus then treated with costus, the interstitial tissues nearly restored its normal shape and appeared free from cytoplasmic degeneration. On the other sides the histological and ultrastructural sections of rats treated with Amphtericin B after fungus infection showed deformed lung tissues. [Sanna A, khalifa, Rahma A Al-Elyani and Dalia M, Domiaty. Histological and ultrastructural studies on the effect of Costus Plant and Amphotericin B on male lung rats infected by Aspergillus niger. Life Sci J 2012;9(4):5321-5338] (ISSN: 1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 792