Assessment of Low-Doses Doxorubicin Effects in Mice Using Chromosomal Aberration Assay

The cytogenetic aberrations induced by doxorubicin (DOX) may be influenced by diet. Investigation regarding effects of low doses of DOX on chromosomal aberrations frequency in mice bone marrow. The study explored a possible relationship between diet, follow-up period, and cytostatic doses. Four mice groups received normal or high-fat (pork) diet. At the beginning of the 8th day mice from each group received a single intraperitoneal injection with DOX (dose range: 1.7-7.7 mg/kg b.w.) or isotonic saline solution (0.02 mL/g control mice). In the 10th (groups I, II) and 14th (groups III, IV) days from the beginning of the experiment, the mice were euthanized and chromosome aberrations were tested in bone marrow cells. The body weight of all mice who received DOX decreases, especially at higher doses. In the first three days post-injection, weight loss percentage was significantly influenced by DOX doses and/or type of diet (p0.05). DOX doses were able to increase the frequency of chromosomal aberrations. DOX acts as a potent inductor of cytogenetic aberrations in bone marrow cells, regardless of the type of diet.