title: The antioxidant and antigenotoxic effects of pycnogenol(®) on rats treated with cisplatin.
abstract: Oxidative stress and inflammation are implicated in the pathogenesis of cisplatin-induced toxicity. Pycnogenol® is known for its strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, the possible protective effects of pycnogenol on kidney, bone marrow, and red blood cells in rats treated with cisplatin were investigated. The rats were divided into four groups. Group 1 was the control and groups 2, 3, and 4 were orally treated with pycnogenol (200 mg/kg bw, o.p) for 5 days, treated with cisplatin (7 mg/kg bw, i.p.) on the fifth day and treated with cisplatin plus pycnogenol, respectively. Antioxidative parameters in kidney and red blood cells were measured. Chromosome anomalies in bone marrow and renal histopathology were also investigated. Activities of pro-oxidant enzymes (myeloperoxidase and xanthine oxidase), malondialdehyde, and nitric oxide levels significantly increased but antioxidant enzymes activities decreased in the kidneys and red blood cells after cisplatin treatment. Pycnogenol treatment prior to the administration of cisplatin significantly decreased cisplatin-induced injury, as evidenced by its normalizing these parameters. Chromosomal aberrations decreased and mitotic index frequencies increased in bone marrow treated with cisplatin plus pycnogenol. These findings suggest that pycnogenol may be a useful protective agent against the toxicity associated with cisplatin therapy.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Amasya University, 05100 Amasya, Turkey. birsenki@omu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Birsen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.forename: Meftun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Unsal
authors.forename: Zulal A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Sekeroglu
authors.forename: Yavuz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gülbahar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000139:chemically induced; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D005419:Flavonoids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D008315:Malondialdehyde; C024070:pycnogenols; D002945:Cisplatin