Haematological evaluation in rats following administration of some antisickling agents

The effect of oral administration of thiocyanate, tellurite and hydroxyurea on haematological profile in albino rats was investigated in this study. Rats were divided into four groups. Control group received distilled water while the three experimental groups were administered with each of the antisickling drug daily at their therapeutic dose for a period of 28 days. All the drugs significantly increased packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin concentration (Hb) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) in the blood of the rats in vivo. Hydroxyurea and thiocyanate caused significant reduction in red cell distribution width (RDW), platelets count and reticulocytes. Tellurite significantly reduced (P<0.05) red blood cell count (RBC) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) while platelets and reticulocytes were significantly elevated by the drug. In addition, hydroxyurea significantly reduced white blood cell count (WBC) in the rat’s blood while thiocyanate caused a reduction in blood pH. These results revealed some information on the positive and negative effects of the drugs on blood parameters which is useful in considering their suitability for the treatment of sickle cell disease. © 2009 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.