Histomorphological study of hepatic lobules of adult Wistar rats administered with aqueous extracts of leaves of cassia singueana.

Objectives: Cassia singueana is widely used in northern Nigeria as an herb for the treatment of enamors ailments. Nevertheless the toxicity of the herb on liver architecture; the hepatic lobule and body weight is yet to be authenticated.

Methods: A total of 24 male Wistar rats with an average weight of 150 g were randomly placed into four groups. Each group consisted of 6 rats. Group A served as the control group while groups B, C and D were given 150, 300, and 450 mg of Cassia singueana leaves extract respectively for 14 days. The animals were weighed before, during and after the treatment phase subsequently, they were sacrificed and the liver tissues were processed and stained using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain, Masson's and Trichrome Stain, Gordon and Sweet's Stain, and Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS)Stain.

Results: There was no significant change in the animal's body weight of in all the groups when compared to the control group. Our histology result showed that Cassia singueana induced vascular lesion and hepatocytes degeneration putatively though mechanism of cell death (apoptosis and necrosis). It was also found that Cassia singueana has no toxic effect on the reticular fibers of the liver. High dose of Cassia singueana was found to induce the deposition of PAS positive materials in hepatocytes.

Conclusions: The Cassia singueana leaves extract induce hepatocyte degeneration and vascular lesion in the hepatic lobules of the wistar rats, without affecting the animals' body weight.