Quercetin 3 Rutinoside Alleviates Chromosomes Instability Induced by Lethal Dose of Gamma Radiation

Radiation-induced genomic instability always remains a major concern for the medical society, following radiation exposure. Hence, development of a safe and effective radioprotector is of considerable interest in case of radiotherapy and radiation emergencies. Quercetin-3-Rutinoside (Q-3-R), a naturally occurring bioflavonoid, has shown promising potential against radiation injuries. The present study reports anti-genotoxic potential of Q-3-R against lethal (9Gy) dose of ionizing radiation. The mice were injected intramuscularly with Q-3-R (10mg/kg b.wt.), 1hr prior to lethal dose of radiation and dissected at 24hrs post treatment. Different kinds of chromosomal aberrations, micronuclei as well as pulverized metaphase and polyploidy were scored in bone marrow cells. Irradiated mice showed significantly (p<0.001) increased number of double minutes, fragments, dicentrics, rings, gaps and end to end association. Pulverized metaphases and polyploidy were also found to be elevated in irradiated group. Pretreatment of Q-3-R significantly countered these radiation-induced genetic variations in lethally exposed mice. Data from the present study support the anti-genotoxic potential of Q-3-R even at lethal dose of radiation. Q-3-R, possessing various pharmacological activities and being a safe supplement for treatment of other ailments, can be further explored for its radioprotective potential.