EFFECTS OF THE AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF PAUSINYSTALIA YOHIMBE (K. SCHUM PIERRE) STEM BARK ON THE RAT’S BONE MARROW:
A HAEMATOLOGICAL AND HISTOLOGICAL STUDY
L. J. Hamidu1, A.U Ekanem2, H. A. Salami1,S.H. Garba2 and L.N. Nganso2
1Departments of Human Physiology, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
2Human Anatomy, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
E-mail: saniwakawa@yahoo.co.uk
Abstract: This study investigated the effects of the aqueous stem bark extract of Pausinystalia yohimbe on the histology of the bone marrow and some haematological indices in rats. A total of 50 adult Wister albino rats divided into two batches (I and II) consisting of 25 rats each were used in this study. Rats in batch I were divided into 5 groups with group I serving as control while groups II, III, IV and V were administered 200 mg/kg of the extract for 7, 14, 21 and 28 days periods respectively. Batch II rats were treated similarly, but with a higher dose of 400mg/kg. At the end of the treatment periods haematological analysis and histological studies of bone marrow were carried out using standard methods. The results showed significant (p<0.05) increase in packed cell volume (PCV) and red blood cell (RBC) counts at both doses. Post-treatment values of white blood cell (WBC) counts showed significant (p<0.05) decrease in all the treatments except for the 14 days treatment group where there was marginal increase. Histological analysis of the bone marrow revealed that at the dose of 200mg/kg there was increased quantity of RBC, while at 400mg/kg there was appearance of fatty tissues and reduced quantity of RBCs, suggesting degenerative effects of the extract on bone marrow structures. The findings of this work corroborate the decrease RBCs and leucopenia reported by previous studies.