Preventive and therapeutic effects of sugar cane extract on cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in chickens

Effects of oral administration of sugar cane extract (SCE) on immunosuppression in chickens treated with cyclophosphamide (CPA) were evaluated. Three-week-old inbred chickens were inoculated into the crop with SCE (500 mg/kg/day) for three consecutive days before or after injection of CPA 12 or 20 mg/chicken. At the last day of SCE or CPA treatment, all chickens were immunized intravenously with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and Brucella abortus (BA). Chickens administered SCE showed a significant increase in body weight, gain in body weight/day, relative weight of the bursa of Fabricius and antibody responses to SRBC and BA than untreated control chickens. Chickens injected with CPA alone showed significantly decreased body weight, gain in body weight/day, relative weight of the bursa and antibody responses to SRBC and BA, showing immumosuppression in the bursa-dependent immune system. All chickens administered SCE before or after the treatment with CPA showed significantly higher values in body weight, gain in body weight/day, relative bursal weight and antibody responses to both antigens, when compared to chickens treated with CPA alone. In histological examination, chickens administered SCE showed a typical bursa with well constituted follicles, although chickens treated with CPA alone showed a severely atrophied bursa with rudimentary follicles and enormous proliferation of interfollicular connective tissue. Chickens treated with SCE and CPA showed a well-reconstituted bursa with almost normal structure. These results suggest that SCE has functionally and morphologically reconstituting effects on the bursa-dependent immune system in immunosuppressed chickens induced by injection of CPA. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.