Modulatory Effect of Rutin on the Antitumor Activity and Genotoxicity of Cisplatin in Tumor-Bearing Mice

Purpose: Cisplatin is a cancer chemotherapeutic drug that has been extensively used in the treatment of a variety of cancers. However, the full usage of cisplatin is limited due to its treatment associated development of multiple side effects in the host. In the present study, the modulatory effect of rutin, a type of flavonoid, on the cisplatin mediated antitumor activity and allied genotoxicity in ascites Dalton’s lymphoma (DL)-bearing mice were investigated.

Methods: The antitumor activity was determined by calculating the percent increase in the life span of mice, cell viability and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of DL cells. Further, the modulatory effect of rutin on the cisplatin-induced genotoxic effects in the same DL-bearing mice was assessed by the analysis of micronuclei, chromosomal aberration and sperm abnormality.

Results: The combination treatment of mice with rutin and cisplatin showed a considerable increase in the life span of the DL-bearing mice depicting better antitumor efficacy. SEM of these DL cells showed severe membrane deformities in DL cells such as fusion of cell membrane, membrane blebbing, cell shrinkage, membrane folding and loss in microvilli from the tumor cell surface which may lead to cell death. Cisplatin alone treatment caused an increase in the frequency of chromosomal aberrations, micronuclei and sperms abnormality. However, the combination treatment of DL-bearing mice with rutin and cisplatin comparatively reduced these genotoxic effects.

Conclusion: The overall findings suggest that rutin enhances the cisplatin-mediated antitumor activity and cytotoxicity against DL cells and at the same time diminishes the genotoxic effects induced by cisplatin in the DL-bearing mice.