EFFECT OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF NEEM LEAVES ON HISTOLOGY OF THE LIVER, KIDNEY AND HEMATOLOGICAL INDICES FOLLOWING ACUTE ETHANOL-INDUCED TOXICITY IN WISTAR RATS

Neem commonly known as Azadiracta indica has been used traditionally, especially in ayurvedic medicine, for various conditions including liver and kidney ailments, and reported to have hepatoprotective properties. This study aims to study the effect of aqueous extract of neem leaves on the histology of the liver, kidney and haematological indices following acute ethanol induced toxicity in Wistar rats. Twenty (20) male and female rats were equally divided into four (4) groups (I- IV). Group I which served as control group received distilled water (2 ml) for 8 days. Group II which served as ethanol group received 1ml of 40 % ethanol for 8 day. Group III which served as neem extract group received 400 mg/kg of aqueous extract of neem leaves for 8 days. Group IV served as ethanol + neem extract group, received 1ml of 40% followed by 400 mg/kg of the neem extract. All animals were humanely sacrificed on the ninth (9) day after hepatotoxicity was induced using chloroform Anastasia. Body weight changes with liver and kidney body weight index were determined. Liver and kidney tissues were collected for haematological analysis which includes (WBC, RBC, PCV, and NEUTROPHIL AND LYMPOCYTE). Following the administration of neem extract we observed normal nuclei within the hepatocyte with presence of kuffer cell in the liver and normal glomeruli in the kidney using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Body weight increased in all groups, though significantly (p