Suppression of Doxorubicin Apoptotic, Histopathologic, Mutagenic and Oxidative Stress Effects in Male Mice Bone Marrow and Testis Tissues by Aqueous Rosemary Leaves Extract

In the present set of investigations, the anti-mutagenic and anti-cytotoxic effects ofaqueous rosemary leaves extract (re) beside the dose dependency of these effectson male mice bone marrow and germ cells have been evaluated using in vivocytogenetic, histopathologic and apoptotic assays, as well as biochemical analysis.doxorubicin (dxr), a well-known mutagen and cytotoxic agent, was given at asingle dose of 25 mg/kg b. wt. intraperitoneally at the fifteenth day. 25, 125, 250and 375 mg/kg b. wt. of re were given through oral intubation once a day/threedays for 15 days prior to dxr administration. the animals of the positive controlgroup (dxr alone) showed significant increase in the mutagenic effect in bonemarrow cells, histological damage, incidence of apoptotic cells (tunel-positivecells), level of lipid peroxidation and activity of superoxide dismutase in testis.though, the activities of the other antioxidant enzymes such as glutathioneperoxidase, catalase and glutathione reduced form beside the serum level oftestosterone and the rate of primary spermatocytes' transformation to spermatidswere significantly declined (p< 0.001). the ratio of dismutase to glutathioneperoxidase and/or catalase was significantly elevated. pretreatment with eachdose of re showed significant reduction in these frequency of chromosomalaberrations and mitotic index of bone marrow cells and the level of peroxidation,the ratio of sod/ gpx or cat, the histological damage and the incidence ofapoptotic cells in testes. also, it caused increase in the levels of some antioxidantenzymes (gsh, cat and gpx), the level of testosterone and returned thesemineferous tubular cell populations' ratio to the control distribution.the protectiveefficacy of the re was much pronounced following pretreatment with 125 mg/kg b.wt.