Protective Effects of Fullerene C₆₀ Nanoparticles and Virgin Olive Oil against Genotoxicity Induced by Cyclophosphamide in Rats

Abstract

The potential effects of the fullerene C₆₀ nanoparticle (C₆₀) as well as virgin olive oil (VOO) against the cyclophosphamide- (CP-) induced cytotoxic and mutagenic effects were evaluated by two main methods: molecular intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) assay and cytogenetic biomarkers. Thirty adult male rats were divided to five groups (control, CP, C₆₀, CP + C₆₀, and CP + VOO). CP was i.p. injected with a single dose of 200 mg/kg; C₆₀ and VOO were given orally (4 mg/kg dissolved in VOO and 1 ml, resp.) in alternative days for 20 days. The ISSR analysis revealed an increased in the DNA fragmentation level for liver and heart tissues represented by 21.2% and 32.6%, respectively, in the CP group. The DNA polymorphism levels were modulated and improved in CP + C₆₀ (8.9% and 12%) and CP + VOO (9.8% and 12.7%) for hepatic and cardiac tissues, respectively. The bone marrow cytogenetic analysis revealed that C₆₀ and VOO had significantly decreased the frequency of CP-induced chromosomal aberrations (chromosomal ring, deletion, dicentric chromosome, fragmentation, and polyploidy). Fullerene C₆₀ and VOO have ability to reduce DNA damage and decrease chromosomal aberrations. In conclusion, fullerene C₆₀ and VOO have protective effects against the CP-induced mutagenicity and genotoxicity. Fullerene C₆₀ and VOO open an interesting field concerning their potential antigenotoxic agents against deleterious side effects of chemotherapeutics.