Haemopoietic Potential of Tannin Fractionates of Vitex doniana Leaf on Nitrosobis (2-Oxopropyl) Amine Comobidity in Docetaxel-Induced Myelosuppression in Wistar Rat

Aim: This study investigated the haemopoietic potential of tannin fractionate of Vitex doniana leaf against nitosobis (2-oxopropyl) amine comorbidity in docetaxel-induced bone marrow suppression.

Study Design: This is an experimental research.

Place of Research: University of Nigeria, Enugu campus.

Methodology: The male Wistar rats used in this experiment were twenty-eight in number, and they were grouped into 7, with each group having four rats. Group 1 served as control, and received 1ml of normal saline, while groups 2-7 were treated with Nitrosobis (2-oxopropyl) amine 5 mg/kg daily for 2 weeks. Then groups 3-7 were treated with 8 mg/Kg of docetaxel weekly for 2 weeks. And groups 4, 5 and 6 also received 250 mg/Kg and 500 mg/Kg and 1000 mg/kg of tannin, respectively, daily for 2 weeks. Group 7 received 40 mg/Kg of fesolate daily for 2 weeks.

Results: The haemoglobin concentration and white blood cell count of rats in the groups treated with Nitrosobis (2-oxopropyl) amine alone (group 2) and Nitrosobis (2-oxopropyl) amine plus Docetaxel (group 3) showed statistically significant reduction (p=.05) in number when compared with the group treated with normal saline (group 1). The haemoglobin concentration and white blood cell count of the rats in the groups treated with 250 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg, and 1000 mg/kg of the tannin fractionate, in addition to the Nitrosobis (2-oxopropyl) amine and Docetxel (i.e. groups 4, 5, and 6, respectively) showed statistically significant dose dependent increase in number, with the group treated with 1000mg/kg showing the highest increment (p=.05). The cells in the bone marrow show significant reduction in number in the rats treated with Nitrosobis (2-oxopropyl) amine (group 2) and Nitrosobis (2-oxopropyl) amine plus docetaxel (group 3) when compared with the rats in group 1 (treated with normal saline). With the addition of graded doses of the tannin fractionate, 250 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg, and 1000mg/kg (i.e. groups 4, 5, and 6, respectively), the number of cells in the bone marrow showed statistically significant increase when compared to group 3 (treated with Nitrosobis (2-oxopropyl) amine plus docetxel), with the rats in the group treated with 1000 mg/kg of tannin fractionate (group 6) having the highest increment (p=.05).

Conclusion: Tannin obtained from Vitex doniana leaf extract increases the haemoglobin concentration in dose dependent manner. It also increases the white blood cell count, and number of proliferating bone marrow cells, following suppression by Nitrosobis (2-oxopropyl) amine and Docetaxel. So, this tannin obtained from Vitex doniana leaf extract may be useful in clinical practice to cushion the myelosupression, anaemia and leukopenia that are associated with use of docetaxel in treatment of malignancies.