Objectives: Cytarabine is one of the potent chemotherapeutic drugs that has many cytotoxic side effects. Our study was conducted to evaluate the possible ability of systemically injected bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) to ameliorate the cytotoxicity caused by Cytarabine in the submandibular salivary glands of rats.
Methods: 30 albino male rats with weights of 200–250 g were divided equally into three groups. Group I (control group). Group II (Cytarabine group) at a dose of 100 mg/kg for five consecutive days. Group III (Cytarabine and BMMSCs): BMMSCs were administered intravenously via the tail vein one day after the last dose of the Cytarabine drug at a dose of 1.5 million cells/body. After 6 days, the rats were sacrificed, and the submandibular salivary glands were dissected out. The glands were prepared for histological and immunohistochemical examination.
Results: Upon examination, Group II showed atrophied acini with cytoplasmic vacuolization. Dilatation of the striated ducts and stagnation of the secretory material in their lumen, the nuclei of the ductal cells showed pyknosis. Meanwhile, Group III showed well-arranged acini and nearly normal ducts. Immunohistochemical results using anti-caspase-3 antibodies showed improvement in Group III over Group II; there was a significant difference between the optical densities of Group II and Group III.