ABSTRACT
Cyclophosphamide is a chemo-therapeutic agent used in the treatment of various cancers and autoimmune diseases. This composition has cytotoxic and clastogenic properties. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of methanol extracts of Thymus vulgaris L. against DNA damage induced by cyclophosphamide in mouse bone marrow cells by the micronucleus test. The extract concentrations of 375, 750, 1500 mg/kg were injected intraperitoneally [Ip] into mice for 7 consecutive days. One hour after the last injection, cyclophosphamide 50 mg/kg Ip was injected. 24 hours after cyclophosphamide injection, the animals were killed and the samples of bone marrow were prepared and stained using the standard methods. For each sample, 1000 cells of polychromatic erythrocytes [PCE] and the same number of normochromatic erythrocyte [NCE] and the cells containing their micronucleus were counted. Cyclophosphamide increased the frequency of micronuclei polychromatic erythrocytes [MnPCE] and decreased cell proliferation [PCE/PCE+NCE]. All doses of extracts significantly reduced the micronucleus frequency ratio [P<0.05]. The cells proliferation ratio [PCE/PCE+NCE] was also increased. The best effect in reducing the micronucleus frequency was at 1500 mg/kg dosage. Thymus extract is able to reduce the clastogenic and cytotoxic effects of cyclophosphamide, due to its antioxidant properties, playing a protective role
ABSTRACT
Hepatitis B virus is one of the main factors causing acute and chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Among others, healthcare workers are at the highest risk for exposure to hepatitis B virus. Vaccination against hepatitis B virus is one of the protective strategies but anti-HBs titer will be reduced in the sera of vaccinated people after some time. The aim of this study was to determine the titer of anti-HBs in the sera of vaccinated medical staffs in three consecutive years since administration of the last dose of hepatitis B vaccine. This study was carried out on 90 Omidvar Hospital [Lar, Iran] medical staffs that had passed 3-4 months since the administration of the last dose of hepatitis B vaccine. All sera samples were tested for anti-HBs in an ELISA method. Finally, statistical analysis was performed using SPSS-16 software. This study was conducted in duration of 3 consecutive years on 90 medical staffs including 14.44% lab technicians, 10% obstetricians, 43.35% nurses, 6.665% specialists, 5.55% general practitioners and 20% maid staffs. While HBs Ab titer was measured as 87.7% [>100 mIU/ml] in the first year elapsed since the last dose of hepatitis B vaccination, it had been decreased to 55.4% after 3 years. The results showed that re-vaccination of the medical staffs is quite necessary as anti-HBs titer had been decreased after 3 years and the desired immune response was seen only in 55.4% of the medical staffs