Abstract

PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF ASCORBIC ACID IN CYCLOPHAPHAMIDE INDUCED GENOTOXICITY IN GERM CELLS OF MICE

Keshava Rao K., *Rudrama Devi K. and Minny Jael P.

Abstract

A number of antineoplatic drugs are used to combat with different types of cancer and had been shown to be cytotoxic. cyclophosphamide is one of most commonly used in malignant lymphomas. The antioxidants such as Vit C inhibits the toxicity of mutagens/carcinogens in animals and Humans. The protective effects of ascorbic acid in cyclophosphamide induced toxicity in swiss male mice was evaluated using sperm morphology assay. Two experiments were conducted in germ cells of Swiss male mice. The cauda epidymis was collected from control and exposed group of animals after five weeks of treatment schedule and screened for presence of various types of sperm head abnormalities such as amorphous, banana hammer head etc., The animals were treated with 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg of ascorbic acid showed as non mutagenic where as the cyclophosphamide induced significant increase in the percentage sperm head abnormalities but when primed with AA there is a significant decrease in the percentages of abnormal sperms. VitC protects the cyclophosphamide induced genotoxicity in germ cells of mice. Hence VitC supplementation is safer in chemotherapeutic strategy.

Keywords: Ascorbic acid, genotoxicity, cyclophosphamide, sperm morphology.