Gene expression of ifn- gamma and icam-1 in benzene induced haematotoxicity bearing wistar rats treated with a bi- herbal mixture of Picralima nitida and Cymbopogon citratus extract

Abstract

Picralima nitida and Cymbopogon citratus, commonly used in traditional medicine for their health benefits, have gained interest due to their bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory properties, offering potential for new therapeutic applications. Investigating the effects of their combined extract on Interferon-Gamma (IFN-γ) and Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1) gene expressions highlights the need to explore its potential in mitigating benzene-induced haematotoxicity, possibly through the modulation of these
genes. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how an aqueous extract of Picralima nitida and Cymbopogon citratus affected the expression of IFN-γ and ICAM-1 genes in rats with benzene-induced haematotoxicity. The study involved 60 male Wistar rats, divided into six groups, to evaluate the effect of a Picralima nitida and Cymbopogon citratus leaf extract blend on GSK3β and AMPK mRNA levels. The groups were: control (A), benzene (B), cyclophosphamide (C), and benzene with 100 mg/kg (D), 200 mg/kg
(E), and 400 mg/kg (F) of the extract. Polymerase Chain Reaction was used to measure gene expression, and GraphPad Prism was used for data analysis. There was a significant increase in the mRNA expression of ICAM-1 in group D when compared to groups A, B and C. There was a significant increase in the expression of ICAM-1 in group F than in group A. There was no significant mRNA expression of IFN-γ across the six groups. This study concludes that, benzene exposure induced an increased ICAM-1 mRNA expression. Co-administration of benzene and specific doses of the aqueous leaf extract led to variable effects on ICAM-1 gene expression.