ABSTRACT
Acalypha wilkesiana is a tropical plant native to the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and Australia. The leaves of the plant are used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of conditions, including inflammation, infection, and digestive disorders. The plant contains a variety of phytochemicals, including alkaloids, flavonoids, and saponins, which may contribute to its therapeutic effects. 1,2-dimethylhydrazine is a chemical compound that is used in laboratory research to induce tumorigenesis in the colon of wister rats. It is a strong carcinogen that causes DNA damage and cell death, leading to the development of tumors in the colon and rectum. 46 male wister rats of a specific age and weight were used in the research. They were housed in cages with controlled temperature and lighting conditions, and were fed a standard diet. They were randomly assigned to six groups, and administration commenced. One group served as the normal control, another group was the standard drug group. The third, fourth and fifth group were induced with the carcinogen (DMH) and then treated with different doses of the extract. And the sixth group was the negative control exposed to only 1,2-dimethylhydrazine to induce colorectal cancer. Histopathological examination was used to assess the effects of the treatments on the rats. The results showed that the liver of the control group showed normal histological features with central vein surrounded by hepatoctyes with large round nucleus and sinusoids and the kidney showed normal histological features with glomerulus, proximal convoluted tubules and distal convoluted tubules. The rats exposed to 1, 2-dimethylhydrazine had severe hepatitis with evidenced severe infiltrates of inflammatory cells and fibrotic tissues in their liver and kidney showed mild interstitial congestion, focal tubular swelling and severe infiltrates of inflammatory cells. However, the rats that were given DMH and then treated with the Acalypha wilkesiana ethanol leaf extract showed periportal infiltrates of inflammatory cells and Kupfer cell activation in the liver and kidney showing mild infiltrates of inflammatory cells, mild interstitial congestion and mildly dilated tubules. It was then concluded that the Acalypha wilkesiana ethanol leaf extract had a protective effect against the damage caused by the carcinogen and mitigated the effects of DMH on the liver and kidney of Wistar rats.
