Study of some hematological and Physiological Alterations Induced by Cisplatin and the Possible Protective Role of β-glucan in rats

Abstract

Cisplatin (CDDP) is an anti-cancer DNA alkylating chemotherapeutic agent that acts against a variety of tumors. The present study aimed to evaluate the possible protective effects of β-glucan on the physiological and hematological parameters in rats chronically treated with CDDP. Four groups of rats were examined: control rats with saline PBS solution (group I), rats treated with CDDP (group II), rats treated with CDDP and β-glucan (group III), and normal rats treated with β-glucan (group IV). All animals were treated for successively five days and killed one week after the last treatment. The results recorded that CDDP treatment significantly decreased the levels of white blood cells (WBCs), red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and increased lymphocytes count. Also, CDDP increased the hepatocyte's oxidative stress which is characterized by increasing prooxidants xanthine oxidase (XO), thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), and decreasing antioxidants glutathione peroxidase (GPx). As a result, hepatocyte injury took place that was characterized by serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities. The treatment of rats by β-glucan with CDDP (group III) or rats treated with β-glucan alone (group IV) successfully normalized the physiological parameters in the form of returning WBCs, RDW, and lymphocyte counts to normal levels and decreased the hepatocyte's oxidative stress which characterized by decreasing Prooxidants OX, TBARS and increasing of antioxidants GPx reflected by a significant decrease in the serum activities of AST, ALT and ALP activities.

Keywords: Cisplatin, β-glucan, oxidative stress, chemotherapy, antioxidant, Prooxidants, xanthine oxidase.