Anti-leukemogenic Efficacy of Aloe vera Gel on Benzene-induced Leukemia in Wistar Rats

Backgroud: The toxicity of benzene leading to leukemia induction has been well documented in animal model. Aloe vera is a succulent perennial evergreen flowering plant used traditionally in the treatment of jaundice and was found to have potent cytotoxic effect against HL60 human acute myeloid leukemia. The present study investigated the in vivo chemoprotective effects of Aloe vera gel on benzene-induced leukemia in rats.

Methodology: Leukemia was induced in male Wistar rats of 80-90g weight by intravenously administered 0.2ml benzene solution alternate days for four weeks. Following induction, leukemic rats and normal baseline control rats were randomly assigned into four experimental groups of 6 animals each as follows: Group CTRL (control), normal baseline control rats; Group AVG (Aloe vera gel), normal baseline rats treated with Aloe vera gel (150 mg/kg) for 7 days, Group LKR (leukemic rats), untreated leukemic rats serving as leukemia control and Group LKR + AVG, leukemic rats treated with Aloe vera gel (150 mg/kg) for 7 days.

Results: Leukemic rats showed altered hematology and morphological deformations such as anisocytosis, poikilocytosis and blast cells occurrence in peripheral blood. Also hypercellularity, severe dysplasia and significantly elevated micronucleated polychromatic erythrocyte were observed in marrow of leukemic rats. Moreover, benzene caused a significant elevation in plasma level of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) with concomitant reduction in total sulfhydryl and arylesterase activity. However, treatment with Aloe vera gel restored blood hematology to near normal and mitigated the deformities in blood cell morphology induced by benzene. Aloe vera supplementation also effected a disappearance of dysplasia and diminution in the frequency of micronucleus in the bone marrow of treated leukemic rats. It also enhanced plasma antioxidant capability by restoring sulfhydryl content and arylesterase activity of the blood and abrogated the increase in plasma content of AOPPs.