β-glucan is a well-known polysaccharide for its chemopreventive effect. This study aimed to evaluate the chemopreventive ability of β-glucan in somatic and germ cells through the dominant lethal and micronucleus assays, and its influence on the reproductive performance of male mice exposed to cyclophosphamide. The results indicate that β-glucan is capable of preventing changes in DNA in both germ cells and somatic ones. Changes in germ cells were evaluated by the dominant lethal assay and showed damage reduction percentages of 46.46% and 43.79% for the doses of 100 and 150 mg/kg. For the somatic changes, evaluated by micronucleus assay in peripheral blood cells in the first week of treatment, damage reduction percentages from 80.63-116.32% were found. In the fifth and sixth weeks, the percentage ranged from 10.20-52.54% and -0.95-62.35%, respectively. Besides the chemopreventive efficiency it appears that the β-glucan, when combined with cyclophosphamide, is able to improve the reproductive performance of males verified by the significant reduction in rates of post-implantation losses and reabsorption in the mating of nulliparous females with males treated with cyclophosphamide.

Ample evidence suggests that cancer is triggered by mutagenic damage and diets or supplements capable of reducing such incidences can be related to the prevention of neoplasy development or to an improvement in life quality of patients who undergo chemotherapy. This research aimed to evaluate the antimutagenic and antigenotoxic activity of β-glucan. We set up 8 experimental groups: control (Group 1), cyclophosphamide (Group 2), Groups 3-5 to assess the effect of β-glucan administration, and Groups 6-8 to evaluate the association between cyclophosphamide and β-glucan. The intraperitonial concentrations of β-glucan used were 100, 150 and 200 mg/kg. Micronucleus and comet assays showed that within the first week of treatment β-glucan presented a damage reduction rate between 100-62.04% and 94.34-59.52% for mutagenic and genotoxic damages, respectively. This activity decreased as the treatment was extended. During the sixth week of treatment antimutagenicity rates were reduced to 59.51-39.83% and antigenotoxicity was not effective. This leads to the conclusion that the efficacy of β-glucan in preventing DNA damage is limited when treatment is extended, and that its use as a chemotherapeutic adjuvant need to be better clarified.

A ciclofosfamida é utilizada no tratamento de câncer. Este estudo visa avaliar os efeitos das diferentes doses do fármaco nos parâmetros reprodutivos de camundongos machos. A ciclofosfamida foi administrada nas doses de 100, 150, 200 e 250 mg kg-1, via intraperitoneal por seis semanas. Como resultado observou-se diminuição de massa corporal, redução no peso de testículos e rins em todos os animais tratados com a ciclofosfamida. Apenas os grupos que receberam as doses de 100 e 150 mg kg-1 do quimioterápico foram capazes de fertilizar as fêmeas. Houve maior incidência de perdas pós-implantação, reabsorção e diminuição da viabilidade fetal no grupo que recebeu a dose de 150 mg kg-1. Observou-se redução nos pesos dos epidídimos e fígado dos animais tratados com as doses de 150, 200 e 250 mg kg-1. Espermatozóides anômalos foram encontrados nas doses de 200 e 250mg kg-1. Com base na metodologia empregada e nos resultados obtidos, conclui-se que a ciclofosfamida foi tóxica considerando-se a redução de massa corporal e o peso dos testículos dos animais; promoveu hepatotoxicidade e efeito nefrotóxico; influenciou na espermatogênese dos animais de forma a levá-los a um estado de infertilidade e/ou subfertilidade; diminuiu viabilidade fetal, entretanto não causou malformações significativas na prole.

The cyclophosphamide is used in cancer treatment. The aim of this study was evaluating the effect of different doses of this drug on male mice reproductive parameters. The cyclophosphamide was administered in the doses 100, 150, 200 e 250 mg.kg-1, intraperitoneal route, for six weeks. As a result, it was observed a decrease in body mass and a decrease in testicles and kidney's weight, in all animals treated with cyclophosphamide. Only the groups that received the doses 100, 150 mg.kg-1 of cyclophosphamide were able to fertilize their females. There was higher incidence of post- implantation losses, reabsorptions and decrease in fetal viability in the group that received the dose of 150 mg.kg-1. It was observed a reduction in epididymis and liver's weight of the animals treated with the doses 150, 200 e 250 mg.kg-1. Abnormal spermatozoa were found in the doses 200 e 250 mg.kg-1. Based on the methodology used and results obtained, it was concluded that the cyclophosphamide was toxic, considering the decrease in animal's body mass and testicle's weight; promoted hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxic effect; influenced in the animals spermatogenesis taking them to infertility and/or subfertility; decreased fetal viability, despite it didn't cause significant malformations in the offspring.