Dc. Tavares et Cs. Takahashi, EFFECTS OF THE AMINO-ACID GLUTAMINE ON FREQUENCY OF CHROMOSOMAL-ABERRATIONS INDUCED BY GAMMA-RADIATION IN WISTAR RATS, Mutation research. Genetic toxicology testing, 370(2), 1996, pp. 121-126
The radiotherapy treatment of human cancer is often limited by the sid
e effects and complications induced in normal surrounding tissues. The
use of therapeutic strategies that could protect normal tissues while
permitting the death of malignant neoplasm would be advantageous. Som
e studies have suggested that the amino acid glutamine (GLN) can serve
as a conditionally essential nutrient in patients in a catabolic cond
ition. The objective of this study was to evaluate the possible radiop
rotection of GLN on the frequency of chromosomal aberrations, number o
f metaphases with chromosomal aberrations and mitotic index in bone ma
rrow cells of Rattus norvegicus. In this in vivo test system, GLN was
administered by gavage at concentrations of 300 and 600 mg/kg body wei
ght, in acute treatments, 30 min or 24 h before exposure to 3 Gy of wh
ole-body gamma radiation. The results obtained in these experiments sh
owed that GLN did not alter significantly the frequency of chromosome
aberrations induced by gamma radiation under the experimental conditio
ns used in the present study.