title: Effect of N-acetylcysteine on radiation-induced genotoxicity and cytotoxicity in rat bone marrow.
abstract: The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential radioprotective effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) against genotoxicity and cytotoxicity. The effect of WR-2721, as a representative of clinically used radioprotector, was compared with that of NAC, using the chromosomal aberration (CA) and micronucleus (MN) test systems in the irradiated rat's femoral bone marrow cells. We also investigated the mitotic index (MI), and the ratio of polychromatic erythrocytes (PCEs) to normochromatic erythrocytes (NCEs). The rats (n = 16) were divided randomly and equally into four groups: Control (C), Radiation (R), R+NAC (received irradiation and 1000 mg/kg NAC) and R+WR-2721 (received irradiation and 200 mg/kg WR-2721) rats. All the irradiated groups received whole-body gamma irradiation as a single dose of 6 Gy. Group R showed higher CA and MN formation when compared to C. Group R showed higher frequency of MN formation when compared to both R+NAC and R+WR-2721. The mean MI and PCE/NCE ratios were lower in Group R when compared to those of Group C. The mean MI and PCE/NCE ratios of both R+NAC and R+WR-2721 groups were lower when compared to those of Group C. The MI in Group R was lower when compared to that of both R+NAC and R+WR-2721 groups. In this study, the results give clues about the beneficial effects of NAC against radiation-induced genotoxicity and cytotoxicity in rat bone marrow and its effect may be comparable to that observed for WR-2721.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University, TR-27310 Gaziantep, Turkey. demirel@gantep.edu.tr
authors.forename: Can
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Demirel
authors.forename: Sevil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kilçiksiz
authors.forename: Ozlem Izci
authors.initials: OI
authors.lastname: Ay
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gürgül
authors.forename: M Ertan
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Ay
authors.forename: Nurten
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Erdal
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005260:Female; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation
chemical_list: D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents; D000111:Acetylcysteine