Exploring the Hematological Risks of Diclofenac Sodium: An Experimental Study in Wistar Rats

This research study investigated hematological alterations associated with diclofenac sodium injection intraperitoneally at a dosage of 15 mg/kg for six weeks in male Albino Wistar rats. Twelve Albino Wistar rats were divided into two groups randomly: a control group and a diclofenac group, six rats in each group. Blood samples were taken from all rats at the end of the experiment, and a hematological evaluation was performed to measure red blood cell indices, white blood cell counts, and platelet indices. Results show a statistically significant decrease in hemoglobin, red blood cell counts, and hematocrit values in rats that received diclofenac compared to controls, indicating that anemia was potentially developed by the diclofenac treatment. Statistically significant increases in mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and red cell distribution width (RDW) were found, which indicate macrocytic and anisocytic anemias. Though there was no statistically significant difference in total white blood cell counts, there was a distinct change in differential counts consistent with increased neutrophil percentages and lower levels of lymphocytes, suggesting inflammatory or stress-type activity. The platelet count and mean platelet volume were unchanged, but there was reduced platelet distribution width (PDW) and increased plateletcrit (PCT), suggesting possible changes to platelet turnover or activation. These reports indicated that chronic exposure to diclofenac sodium may induce haematotoxicity characterized by anaemia, immune modulation, and changes to platelet parameters. The study highlights the need to use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs cautiously because they have potential systemic impacts on blood profiles.