TURKISH JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2008 , Vol 23 , Num 3
Protective effect of N-acetyl cysteine on radiation-induced DNA damage in rat bone marrow: a comparison with WR-2721
Can DEMİREL,1 Sevil KILÇIKSIZ,2 Özlem İZCİ AY,3 Serkan GÜRGÜL,4 M. Ertan AY,3 Nurten ERDAL4
1 Gaziantep Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Biyofizik Anabilim Dalı, Gaziantep
2 Gaziantep Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Radyasyon Onkolojisi Anabilim Dalı, Gaziantep
3 Mersin Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Tıbbi Biyoloji Anabilim Dalı, Mersin
4 Mersin Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Biyofizik Anabilim Dalı, Mersin
OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the potential radioprotective effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) against genocytotoxicity. As representative of a clinically used radioprotector, the effect of WR-2721 was compared with that of NAC using chromosomal aberration (CA) and mitotic index (MI) in the irradiated rat's femoral bone marrow cells.

METHODS
The rats (n=48) were divided randomly and equally into six groups as: Control (C), NAC (received 1000 mg/kg NAC), WR-2721 (200 mg/kg WR-2721), Radiation (R, received irradiation), R + NAC (received irradiation and 1000 mg/kg NAC), and R + WR-2721 (received irradiation and 200 mg/kg WR-2721). All the irradiated groups received whole-body gamma irradiation as a single dose of 6 Gy. At 72th hours, the rats were sacrificed and bone marrow cells were bilaterally collected from rats' femur. Then, cytogenetic and cytotoxicity tests were performed according to convantional methods.

RESULTS
Group R showed significantly higher CA and lower MI values when compared to C. R + NAC and R + WR-2721 groups showed significantly lower CA and higher MI averages when compared to R.

CONCLUSION
The results give clues about the beneficial effects of NAC against radiation-induced genocytotoxicity. Keywords : N-acetylcysteine; irradiation-injury; WR-2721