title: Combined cytogenotoxic effects of bee venom and bleomycin on rat lymphocytes: an in vitro study.
abstract: This study was carried out to determine the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of bee venom (BV) and/or the chemotherapeutic agent bleomycin (BLM) on healthy isolated rat lymphocytes utilizing morphometric and molecular techniques. Using the Ficoll-Histopaque density gradient centrifugation technique, lymphocytes were isolated, divided into groups, and subjected to BV and/or BLM at incubation medium concentrations of 10 or 20 μg/mL respectively for 24 and 72 hrs. An MTT assay and fluorescent microscopy examinations were used to assess the cytotoxic effects. To determine the predominant type of BV and/or BLM-induced cell death, LDH release assay was employed beside quantitative expression analyses of the apoptosis-related genes (Caspase-3 and Bcl-2). The genotoxic effects of the tested compounds were evaluated via DNA fragmentation assay. The results of these assays demonstrated that BV potentiates BLM-induced cytotoxicity through increased LDH release and diminished cell viability. Nevertheless, BV significantly inhibited the BLM-induced DNA damage. The results verify that BV significantly attenuates the genotoxic effects of BLM on noncancerous isolated rat lymphocytes but does not diminish BLM cytotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt.
authors.forename: Yasmina M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Abd-Elhakim
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt.
authors.forename: Samah R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Khalil
authors.affiliation: Animal Wealth Development Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ashraf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Awad
authors.affiliation: Physiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ; AL-Amodi Autism Research Chair, Autism Research and Treatment Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Laila Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Al-Ayadhi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001514:Bee Venoms / Q000633:toxicity*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000633:toxicity*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D001514:Bee Venoms; D003603:Cytotoxins; D009153:Mutagens; D001761:Bleomycin; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase