Dopamine accelerates recovery from cyclophosphamide-induced leukopenia

Effect of dopamine (DA) on cyclophosphamide-induced hematotoxicity was eval uated in this study. DA was injected at a dose of 50 mg/kg/day for five con secutive days into Swiss mice that received 200 mg/kg cyclophosphamide (CY) 12 h before. The severity of CY-induced neutropenia was much less in DA-tr eated group. DA treatment resulted in total WBC and neutrophil recovery at day 7 and day 4, respectively, which were 3 days earlier than the animals t hat received CY-alone. Similarly, the decline in nucleated cells in the bon e marrow (BM) and spleen were relatively less profound in DA treated-group. DA-treatment was successful in reducing the suppressive effect of CY on my eloid and erythroid cells in the BM. In addition, cytochemical staining wit h Sudan black B revealed 3-fold increase in the number of granulocytes in s pleen of DA-treated mice in comparison with CY-only group. The results sugg est that DA treatment after CY appreciably reduced the severity of CY-induc ed blood and BM cell counts. Moreover, DA treatment was effective in accele rating the recovery of blood and BM cells resulting in attainment of normal hematological profile much earlier. Thus, the results indicate appreciable protective effect of DA against cancer chemotherapy-related myelosuppressi on and leukopenia.