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Effect of chemotherapy exposure prior to pregnancy on fetal brain tissue and the potential protective role of quercetin

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Abstract

Cyclophosphamide (CYC) and doxorubicin (DOX) are among the most effective and widely used anticancer chemotherapeutic drugs. Potential chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic functions have recently been attributed to flavonoids. We hypothesized that Quercetin (QR) would protect against the toxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents applied prior to pregnancy. Rats were treated with the chemotherapeutic drugs CYC (27 mg/kg) and DOX (1.8 mg/kg) applied in a single intraperitoneal dose once every 3 weeks for 10 weeks. QR was administered at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day by oral gavage. 48 h following the experimental chemotherapy exposure, female rats were transferred to cages containing male rat for mating. Fetal brain tissues were removed from fetuses extracted by cesarean section on the 20th day of gestation for evaluation of antioxidant parameters. A significant increase in superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde activity was observed in CYC and DOX treatment groups relative to the control group (p < 0.05). Similarly, carnitine acylcarnitine translocase and Glutathione activity was significantly reduced in the CYC and DOX groups relative to the control group (p < 0.05). Our results indicate that the use of chemotherapeutic drugs before pregnancy can result in oxidative damage to fetal brain tissue. Therefore, women who have been exposed to chemotherapy and may become pregnant should be treated with antioxidant compounds such as QR to reduce the risk of damage to fetal brain tissues.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Inonu University Research Fund (INU-BAP 2010/58).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Adiyaman University, 02040, Adiyaman, Turkey

    Z. Doğan

  2. Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Adiyaman University, 02040, Adiyaman, Turkey

    S. Kocahan

  3. International Scientific Center, Baku State University, Baku, Azerbaijan

    S. Kocahan

  4. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, 44280, Malatya, Turkey

    E. Erdemli & Y. Turkoz

  5. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, 44280, Malatya, Turkey

    E. Köse

  6. Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Inonu University, 44280, Malatya, Turkey

    I. Yılmaz

  7. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Karabuk University, Karabuk, Turkey

    Z. Ekincioğlu & N. Ekinci

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Correspondence to S. Kocahan.

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Doğan, Z., Kocahan, S., Erdemli, E. et al. Effect of chemotherapy exposure prior to pregnancy on fetal brain tissue and the potential protective role of quercetin. Cytotechnology 67, 1031–1038 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10616-014-9742-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10616-014-9742-z

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