Ranjit Kumar

Cyclophosphamide is well known anticancer drug used for the treatment of several types of cancers. In combination with other drugs cyclophosphamide is prescribed to treat breast cancer, leukemia and ovarian cancer. But cyclophosphamide reduces the production of blood cells from the bone marrow. In the present investigation to combat the toxicity of cyclophosphamide, aqueous extract of immunomodulator plant like Ashwagandha was studied against toxicity of cyclophosphamide. After administration of cyclophosphamide @ 250 mg/kg b.w. (tablet) orally by gastric intubation method to rats, marked reduction in total count of WBC, ALC and Platelets were observed and slightly reduction in RBC was observed on day 4th. When Ashwagandha (300mg/kg b.w.) administered five days prior to cyclophosphamide administration and continued for ten days then significant increase in total count of WBC, ALC and Platelets were observed after treatment but there is no significant statistical difference in the RBC count was seen in all groups during the period of the study. Thus findings of present investigation showed that therapeutic potency of Ashwagandha ameliorate the toxicity produced during cancer chemotherapy by mitigating the bone marrow depression.

Exposure to pesticides both occupationally and environmentally causes a range of human health problems. A vast majority of the population in India are engaged in agriculture and are therefore exposed to the pesticides used in agriculture. Endosulfan formulations are used in commercial agriculture and home gardening. Endosulfan causes degeneration of spermatozoa of mice as well as declined testosterone level. Endosulfan exposure lead to ovarian nuclear degeneration. It also causes altered liver function and hepatomegaly. Thus present study is designed to evaluate nephrotoxic effect of on biochemical and histological parameters of kidney of mice. The ‘treatment’ groups received Endosulfan 2 mg/kg b.w daily by gavage method for four and eight weeks. Animals were sacrificed after the scheduled treatment. Urea, uric acid and creatinine was increased many folds in endosulfan administered group of guinea pig. Degeneration was observed in glomerulus and bowmen’s capsule. Tubular system of nephron show more degenerative changes. It is evident from study that endosulfan exposure causes elevated biochemical parameters of kidney and degenerative changes in tubular system of nephrons of guinea pig leading impaired nephrotoxicity in kidney. Key words: Nephron, Hepatomegly, Glomerulus, Bowmen’s Capsule