title: The effects of pomegranate and carvacrol on methotrexate-induced bone marrow toxicity in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of pomegranate (PMG) extract and carvacrol (CARV) on methotrexate (MTX)-induced oxidative stress and bone marrow toxicity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Wistar albino rats (32 rats) were divided into four groups (n=8): Group 1 was control; Group 2 was given a single intraperitoneal injection of methotrexate (20 mg/kg); Group 3 was treated with carvacrol (73 mg/kg i.p.) one day before MTX (20 mg/kg i.p.) injection; and, Group 4 received a single dose of MTX (20 mg/kg i.p) while PMG was administered orally for seven days at 225 mg/kg. After animals were euthanized, blood samples were taken to evaluate hematological parameters and oxidative stress. In addition, the femur was cropped and bone marrow was extracted for examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  White blood cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit and platelet count were found to be decreased in the MTX group, but these changes were prevented in the groups that received CARV and PMG. Furthermore, decreased bone marrow cellularity was found in the groups treated with MTX, whereas the PMG and CARV groups had cellularity similar to controls. Strikingly, oxidative stress increased in the MTX group, but was ultimately decreased in the rats that received the antioxidants PMG and CARV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Carvacrol and PMG were found to be protective against methotrexate-induced oxidative bone marrow damage. Use of these antioxidants, in combination with chemotherapeutics, may help to reduce some adverse effects of methotrexate.
authors.affiliation: . drvelatsen@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Velat
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Şen
authors.forename: Mehtap
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bozkurt
authors.forename: Sevda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Söker
authors.forename: Aydın
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ece
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Güneş
authors.forename: Ünal
authors.initials: Ü
authors.lastname: Uluca
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Söker
authors.forename: Servet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yel
authors.forename: İbrahim
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Kaplan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects*; D000081007:Cymenes; D029561:Lythraceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000633:toxicity*; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000081007:Cymenes; D039821:Monoterpenes; C073316:carvacrol; D008727:Methotrexate