Immunomodulatory Effects of Andrographis paniculata Leaf Extract in Cyclophosphamide-induced Immunosuppressed Mice

Abstract

Background Cyclophosphamide is one of the most extensively used chemotherapeutic drugs and is employed to treat several malignancies. Cyclophosphamide often comes with several unpleasant side effects. The primary negative consequence of cyclophosphamide in clinical chemotherapy is immunosuppression, which can lead to life-threatening complications. Objectives: The present work was dedicated to exploring the therapeutic effects of Andrographis paniculata against cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in mice. Materials and Methods The BALB/c mice were treated with 80 mg/kg of cyclophosphamide to achieve immunosuppression and treated with 250 and 500 mg/kg of A. paniculata extract. 10 mg/kg of levamisole was used as a standard drug. After the completion of the treatments, the body weights of the experimental animals were measured. The immune organs (spleen and thymus) were determined by standard methods. The levels of blood components were studied using an automated hematological analyzer. The macrophage phagocytic index, humoral response, and delayed immune response were studied by standard methods. The histopathological analysis was done on the heart, spleen, and thymus. Results The treatment with 250 and 500 mg/kg of A. paniculata extract substantially increased the body weight and elevated the immune organ index in the immunosuppressed mice. The changes in the levels of hematological parameters were successfully modulated by A. paniculata. The levels of macrophage phagocytic index and delayed and humoral immune responses were boosted by the A. paniculata extract treatment in the immunosuppressed mice. The outcomes of histopathological analysis exhibited that the A. paniculata extract attenuated the cyclophosphamide-induced damage to the heart, thymus, and spleen tissues. Conclusion The findings of the current work validate the immunomodulatory properties of A. paniculata extract in cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mice. Hence, it was clear that A. paniculata can be a talented immunomodulatory agent to treat immunological complications.