Effect of Serratula marginata dry extract on the mice thymus and spleen structure in cyclophosphamide immunosuppression

BACKGROUND: The search of effective and safe drugs to prevent and treating the immune deficient states is an actual problem of modern medicine.

AIM: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effect of Serratula marginata dry extract on structure of mice thymus and spleen at cyclophosphamide immunosuppression.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The experiments were carried out on F1 (CBAxC57Bl/6) mice. Immune deficiency was simulated by a single intraperitoneal introduction of cyclophosphamide in the dose 250 mg/kg. S. marginata dry extract in the dose 100 mg/kg was administered to animals for 14 days intragastrically against cyclophosphamide. Morphological studies of the thymus and spleen were performed on day 16 after the extracts administration. Areas white and red pulp of the spleen; the area of the thymic lobule, the cortex and the medulla; the density of cells in the subcapsular zone and the deep layers of the cortex were measured using the Zen 2012 image analysis program.

RESULTS: The S. marginata extract limited the development of involutive changes in the thymus caused by cyclophosphamide: the thymus area was by 28% (p ≤ 0.05) higher and the cortical-medullary index was (ratio of the cortex area to the medulla area) by 26% higher. The number of mitotically dividing cells, blasts and large lymphocytes increased, the number of cells with structural disorders and macrophages decreased in the thymus cortex. In animals of the experimental groups, the white pulp area was 47% (p ≤ 0.05) higher than that in the control.

CONCLUSIONS: The S. marginata dry extract limited the development of involutive processes in the thymus and spleen caused by the introduction of cytostatic cyclophosphamide.