Effect of resveratrol on chromosomal aberrations induced by doxorubicin in rat bone marrow cells

• RES has anticlastogenic effect in bone marrow cells induced by DXR.
• Repeated doses of RES at 25 mg/kg bw has protection on DXR-induced chromosomal aberration.
• Repeated doses of RES at 12.5 and 25 mg/kg bw alone do not cause any clastogenicity in bone marrow cells.

This study investigated the effects of resveratrol (RES) on doxorubicin (DXR) induced rat bone marrow cell chromosome aberrations. RES, a polyphenolic compound, has attracted considerable attention because of its antioxidant and antimutagenic effects. DXR, a chemotherapeutic agent, is known to cause chromosomal aberrations in healthy cells in cancer patients. In this study, Wistar albino male rats were divided into 6 groups with 6 animals each. The control group received distilled water i.p. and the DXR group received an i.p. injection of doxorubicin (90 mg/kg bw). For the 2 RES dose groups (12.5 and 25 mg/kg bw, respectively), RES was injected i.p. 5 times during the 24 h study period to coincide with the schedule for the DXR + RES groups. The DXR-RES groups received DXR (90 mg/kg bw) and RES at either 12.5 or 25 mg/kg bw, i.p. 30 min before, concurrently, and then every 6 h after DXR administration. Bone marrow collection was timed to coincide with 24 h after DXR administration in all groups. RES administration alone did not induce any significant increase in frequency of chromosome aberrations or abnormal metaphases compared with controls (p > 0.05) while DXR alone did (p < 0.05). In the DXR-RES 12.5 mg/kg bw group, frequency of chromosome aberrations and abnormal metaphases were slightly reduced compared to DXR alone, but this was not statistically significant. However, in the DXR-RES 25 mg/kg bw group, RES resulted in a statistically significant reduction in the frequency of chromosome aberrations and abnormal metaphases compared to those induced by DXR alone (p < 0.05). These results indicate that RES (25 mg/kg bw) significantly reduces frequency of DXR induced chromosome damage in bone marrow cells.