Myeloprotective potential of leaves extract fractions of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius in myelo suppression

Chemotherapy has been associated with myelosuppression. Myeloprotection is the main remedy to myelosuppression. Nature has been endowed with natural molecules rich in therapeutic components and one of such nature is Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (CA) which has been reported to be rich in antioxidants. The aim of the study was to investigate myelo-protective potential of CA in myelo-suppressed animal model. Albino rats (n = 32) were divided into 8 groups of 4 rats each labelled A-H out of which 7 groups (B-H) were induced intraperitoneally for myelosuppression with cyclophosphamide (CP) and only 6 groups (C-H)  were treated with CA extracts for four weeks. Group A served as normal control, groups B-H was induced for myelosuppression with cyclophosphamide. Group B served as myelo-suppressed control, groups C, D and E, received 100mg/kg body weight (bw) methanol fractions of CA while groups F, G and H received 200mg/kg body weight methanol fractions of CA. Two milliliters of blood were collected into ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid containers for total white blood cell count and absolute granulocyte count on days 3, 12 and 21 using mindray auto analyser BC-360. On day 30, bone marrow (BM) was harvested from one rat per group for BM examination and cellularity. Following administration of (CP), myelosuppression set in as observed in significant decreased (P < 0.05) in total white blood cell (TWBC) count and absolute granulocyte count.  Extract fractions of CA caused significant increase (P < 0.05) in TWBC count and absolute granulocyte count in all the treated groups on days 12 and 21 compared with baseline. Bone marrow cellularity of all the treated groups revealed normal myeloid erythroid ratio indicating normal marrow cellularity. The findings in this study suggested myelo-protection by Cnidoscolus aconitifolius against cyclophosphamide induced myelosuppression.