Hematological Effect of Water Extracts of Cham-Dang-Gui on Cyclophosphamide Induced Anemic Rat

ABSTRACT

Anemia, the condition of the diminished concentration of hemoglobin per erythrocyte is common in patients with cancer and is a frequent complication of myelosuppressive chemotherapy. Cham-Dang-Gui (Angelicae Gigantis Radix) has been used in traditional Korean medicine to treat hematologic deficiencies. In this study, Cyclophosphamide (CYP), an alkylating agent that has a broad spectrum of anti-cancer activities, was intraperitoneally injected into the experimental animals to suppress the bone marrow thereafter, causing anemia. The hemopoietic effects of Cham-Dang-Gui were examined using anemic rat model. Rats were divided into five groups CON (control group), ANS (CYP-injected + normal diet), AND (CYP-injected + normal diet + Cham-Dang-Gui), ALS (CYP-injected + low iron diet), and ALD (CYP-injected + low iron diet + Cham- Dang-Gui) groups. CYP (30 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally injected to rats for 3 days to induce anemic condition. Saline or Cham-Dang-Gui was administrated orally during the entire experimental period. CYP injection decreased body weight gain and food consumption in comparison with CON group. Oral administration of Cham-Dang-Gui extract with normal iron diet significantly prevented the lower body weight gain. The blood level of hemoglobin, iron status (serum iron, transferrin, ferritin and TIBC) and blood level of vitamin B-12 in Cham-Dang-Gui treated groups were significantly higher than those of Cham-Dang-Gui untreated groups regardless of amount of iron in the diet. Taken together, it could be concluded that the Cham-Dang-Gui extract could improve anemic condition induced by CYP injection by improving hematological value, iron status and vitamin B12 status in rats.