A comparison of the in vitro Genotoxicity of Anticancer Drugs Melphalan and Mitoxantrone

Department of Post- graduate Studies & Research in Biological Sciences, R.D. University, Jabalpur, India

^*Corresponding author:

Susmita Mishra, Ph.D.

Department of Post- graduate Studies & Research in Biological Sciences

R.D. University,

Jabalpur- 482001( M.P.)

India

Email: sus_biochem@rediffmail.com

Abstract

Melphalan and Mitoxantrone are anthracycline antibiotics used in cancer therapy. This research was carried out to investigate in vitro genotoxic effects of the two (Melphalan and Mitoxantrone) anti-cancer drugs on human lymphocytes using Micronucleus Test. The effect induced by Melphalan was more pronounced than by Mitoxantrone. There was a significant increase in the induction of DNA damage in the cells treated with Melphalan. Our results indicate that 10 µM concentration of Melphalan induced formation of 1% of frequency of Micronucleated Lymphocytes (MNLs) while the same concentration of Mitoxantrone does not show any MNLs. The 70 µM concentration of Melphalan and Mitoxantrone both on an average induced 5.8 % and 3.7% frequency of MNLs respectively. We concluded that the Melphalan and Mitoxantrone are able to induce genotoxic effects in human lymphocytes in vitro in a dose-dependent manner, therefore, in normal lymphocytes much lesser genotoxicity of Mitoxantrone compared to Melphalan should be taken into account in planning chemotherapeutic strategies.

Keywords: Genotoxicity, Melphalan, Mitoxantarone, Lymphocytes, Micronucleated Lymphocytes.

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