Short Term Administration of High Dosed Dexamethasone Altered Leukocyte Concentration in Blood of Goat

Abstract

Dexamethasone (DEX), a glucocorticoid, widely used as life saving drug in humans and animals. Its therapeutic use in veterinary clinics as growth promoter, anti-stress, anti-shock, anti-inflammatory and in metabolic disorders has been reported. Besides beneficial therapeutic effects, it exerts broad range of untoward effects especially on immune cells. Thus, present study was carried out with an objective to evaluate the effects of high dose of dexamethasone on immune cell population and on hematological parameters， i.e Erythrocyte Count, Hb, and PCV. To achieve objective of study, dexamethasone was administered intramuscularly at high dose rate of 4 mg/kg.BW for 5 days in six goats. Blood samples were collected before and on day 5, at 1, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hrs post drug administration and analyzed for Complete Blood Count (CBC). The results showed significant increase (p<0.01) in WBCs count at 1, 6, 12 hrs and (p<0.05) at 24 hrs. Granulocytes (Leukocyte Count) also increased significantly (p<0.05) at 6, 12 hrs and (p<0.01) at 24 and 48 hrs post administration in treatment group as compare to control group. Whereas, non-significant increase was found in RBCs count, PCV % and Hb at 12 hrs post dexamethasone administration. Thrombocyte count, was higher at 24 hrs, while, monocytes and lymphocytes were significantly decreased (p<0.01) at 6, 12, 24, 48 hrs in treatment group as compared to control. It was concluded from the present study that, the administration of dexamethasone at higher dose significantly causes immune suppressive as well as immunomodulant effects in goats. These effects subsided as the drug cleared from the body in goats.