Effect of Butea monosperma leaf extracts on cyclophosphamide induced clastogenicity and oxidative stress in mice

Effects of cyclophosphamide on antioxidative and immune functions of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) via the TLR-NF-κB signaling pathway

Intensive aquaculture often results in immunosuppression in fish, which may cause a series of diseases. In this study, to investigate the immunosuppressive mechanisms in fish, tilapia were intrapleural injected cyclophosphamide (CTX) at the doses of 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100 mg·kg^-1 to induce immunosuppression. We determined the viability of immune cells, the content of lysozyme (LZM) and immunoglobulin M (IgM), the levels of nitric oxide (NO) and antioxidant parameters. Meanwhile, the mRNA levels of complement C3 (c3), igm and the genes associated with the TLR-NF-κB signaling pathway in the head kidney (HK) and spleen were also determined. The results showed that CTX had a significant cytotoxic effect on peripheral blood leukocytes, HK macrophages and spleen cells in a dose-dependent manner. The protein and mRNA levels of C3 and IgM were down-regulated with the increase of CTX concentrations in serum, HK and/or spleen. The NO and LZM contents decreased significantly in HK and spleen after CTX treatments with 75 and 100 mg·kg^-1. CTX treatments with 50, 75 and/or 100 mg·kg^-1 markedly decreased the antioxidant ability and enhanced lipid peroxidation in HK and spleen. Furthermore, qPCR data showed that CTX treatments with 50-100 mg·kg^-1 clearly down-regulated the mRNA levels of tlr2, myd88, irak1, traf6, nfκb1, nfκb2, il-6, il-10 and tnf-α in the HK and/or spleen. Overall results suggested that CTX treatment had a cytotoxic effect on immune cells, induced lipid peroxidation, decreased the antioxidant capacity and inhibited immune function. The immunosuppressive mechanisms of CTX may be associated with the TLR-NF-κB signaling pathway.

Ginsenoside Rg1 enhanced immune responses to infectious bursal disease vaccine in chickens with oxidative stress induced by cyclophosphamide

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of oral administration of ginsenoside Rg1 on oxidative stress induced by cyclophosphamide in chickens. Ninety-six chickens were randomly divided into 4 groups, each consisting of 24 birds. Groups 2 and 3 received intramuscular injection of cyclophosphamide at 100 mg/kg body weight for 3 d to induce oxidative stress and immune suppression. Groups 1 and 4 were injected with saline in the same way as groups 2 and 3. Then chickens in group 3 were orally administrated Rg1 of 1 mg/kg body weight in drinking water for 7 d. After that, groups 1 to 3 were orally vaccinated with attenuated infectious bursal disease vaccine (Strain B87). Blood samples were collected for determination of infectious bursal disease virus-specific antibodies, cytokines, and oxidative parameters. Splenocytes were prepared for lymphocyte proliferation assay. The results showed that oral administration of ginsenoside Rg1 significantly enhanced specific antibody, IFN-γ, and IL-6 responses, and lymphocyte proliferation induced by concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide in chickens injected with cyclophosphamide. Antioxidant activity of ginsenoside Rg1 was also observed in chickens by increased total antioxidant capacity, total superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione, ascorbic acid, and α-tocopherol, as well as decreased malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl. Therefore, oral administration of Rg1 was shown to improve the immune responses to infectious bursal disease vaccine in chickens suffering from oxidative stress.

Evaluation of genotoxicity of Euphorbia triaculeata Forssk. extract on mice bone marrow cells in vivo

Chemotherapeutic agents for cancer are highly toxic to healthy tissues at therapeutic doses and hence alternative medicine avenues are widely researched. Most of the studies on alternative medicine have suggested that Euphorbia plant possesses considerable antitumor and antibacterial properties. The present study was designed to evaluate the in vivo genotoxic effects of Euphorbia triaculeata extract on mice bone marrow cells using chromosomal aberration test and micronucleus assay. This study also deals with the effect of E. triaculeata on the standard drug cyclophosphamide (CP) treatment in mice. Three different doses 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight were selected. In micronucleus assay, single oral dose administration of Euphorbia triaculeata extract at the three doses did not increase the number of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes. Similarly, a single oral administration of Euphorbia triaculeata extract showed no significant changes on mitotic indices or in induction of chromosomal aberrations in mice bone marrow cells. Pretreatment with E. triaculeata extract significantly reduced the clastogenicity of CP. Hence it can be concluded that, E. triaculeata extract showed no significant genotoxic effect on mice bone marrow cells. Under the conditions of this study, it has been demonstrated that the Euphorbia triaculeata extract is not genotoxic and not clastogenic at the concentrations used.

Antigenotoxic effects of a polyherbal drug septilin against the genotoxicity of cyclophosphamide in mice

Septilin (Spt) is a polyherbal drug formulation from Himalaya Drug Company, consisting of extracts from different medicinal plants and minerals. In the traditional system of medicine, septilin is being used as immunomodulatory, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. In the present study, the protective effects of septilin against the genotoxicity of cyclophosphamide (CP) a widely used alkylating anticancer drug was evaluated by using in vivo micronucleus (MN) and sperm shape abnormality assays in Swiss albino mice. CP administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 50 mg/kg b.w. was used as positive mutagen. Different doses of septilin viz., 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg b.w. was orally administered for 5 consecutive days. CP was administered intraperitoneally on 5th day. MN and sperm preparations were made after 24 h and 35 days respectively. CP induced significant MN in both bone marrow and peripheral blood cells and also a high frequency of abnormal sperms. In septilin supplemented animals, no significant induction of MN and abnormal sperms was recorded. In septilin supplemented groups, a dose dependent significant decrease in CP induced clastogenicity was observed. Thus the current in vivo study revealed the antigenotoxic effects of septilin against CP induced damage, in both somatic and germ cells of Swiss albino mice.