Protection of Cyclophosphamide Induced Myelosuppression by Extracts of Asparagus setaceous Kunth and Caesalpinia volkensii Harm in Albino Rats

Cancer is a leading cause of disease worldwide. In 2012, there were an estimated 14.1 million new cases of cancer in the world. Chemotherapy has been one of the ways to manage cancers. Unfortunately, chemotherapeutic agents used have been observed to have toxic side effects limiting their use. Accordingly, several new strategies are being developed to control and treat cancer. One such approach could be a combination of an effective phytochemical with chemotherapeutic agents, which when combined would enhance efficacy while reducing toxicity to normal tissues. There is a continued interest and need for the identification and development of nontoxic and effective chemopreventive compound that can reduce the side effects of cyclophosphamide. This study was conducted to establish the protective effects of extracts of Asparagus setaceous Kunth and Caesalpinia volkensii Harm against cyclophosphamide induced myelosuppression in albino rats. In one experimental setup, WBC count was first conducted in all groups of animals. Myelosuppression was then induced by treating animals with single doses of cyclophosphamide and another WBC count done on day 4. The animals were then orally administered with the various extracts and WBC count done on day 9. In another experimental setup, the protective effect of the extracts against cyclophosphamide induced myelosuppression in the experimental rats was assessed. WBC count was first conducted in the groups of animals followed by extract treatments and another WBC count. The animals were then treated with single dose of cyclophosphamide and WBC counts done at various days. The results were analyzed using student t-test. WBC count was found to be significantly reduced following cyclophosphamide treatment. Administration of dichloromethane leave and all ethanolic, methanolic and aqueous extracts were found to reverse leukopenia in albino rats. Hexane extracts did not reverse leukopenia. The extracts were also found to protect the animals against cyclophosphamide induced myelosuppression when animals were first treated with the extracts. These results suggest that the extracts of the two plants are able to reverse myelosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide treatment opening up the possibilities for the use of plant products in the prevention of adverse bone marrow effects associated with cyclophosphamide treatment.