Myeloprotective effect of Triticum aestivum Linn. grass against antineoplastic agents induced bone marrow toxicity in mice

Myelotoxicity remains the most important cause of life threatening complications in patients undergoing antineoplastic chemotherapy cycles. Strategies to circumvent or lessen myelotoxicity may improve clinical outcome and quality of life in these patients. The aim of the present study is to investigate myeloprotective effect of Triticum aestivum Linn. (wheat) grass against chemotherapeutic agents induced bone marrow toxicity. Swiss albino mice were pretreated with wheatgrass juice at a dose of 20 ml/kg b.w. for 30 days. An hour after the last dose administration of WGJ, animals were injected with a single i.p. dose of cyclophosphamide (50 mg/kg b.w.) and doxorubicin (50 mg/kg b.w.). The reference drug amifostine (350 mg/kg b.w.) was administered 45 min prior to the cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin injection. At 24 h post chemotherapeutics challenge, animals were euthanized after blood sample collection and bone marrow was aspirated from both femurs. Hematologic parameters in blood samples were measured.  Chromosomal abnormalities such as chromatid break, chromosomal ring, chromatid gap, chromatid exchange, chromosome break and number of micronucleated polymorphonuclear erythrocytes formed and polychromatic erythrocytes/normochromatic erythrocytes ratio were recorded in bone marrow smear. The results of present study show that pretreatment with wheatgrass juice significantly protected against cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin induced hematologic abnormalities and chromosomal damage in bone marrow stem cells due to its vast array of active principles. By virtue of its anticlastogenic and cytoprotective effects, wheatgrass juice might be considered as a promising candidate for adjuvant therapy without compromising efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents.

کلیدواژه ها:

wheatgrass ، myelotoxicity ، genotoxicity ، chemotherapeutic agent ، micronucleus ، chromosomal aberration