Flavonoid genistein protects bone marrow sinusoidal blood vessels from damage by methotrexate therapy in rats

• Published in: Journal of cellular physiology Vol. 234; no. 7; pp. 11276 - 11286
• Main Authors: Hassanshahi, Mohammadhossein, Su, Yu‐Wen, Khabbazi, Samira, Fan, Chia‐Ming, Chen, Ke‐Ming, Wang, Ju‐Fang, Qian, Airong, Howe, Peter R., Yan, De‐Wen, Zhou, Hou‐De, Xian, Cory J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-07-2019
• Subjects: Angiogenesis; Animals; Anticarcinogenic Agents - pharmacology; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic - adverse effects; Apoptosis; Biocompatibility; Biomedical materials; Blood vessels; Bone cancer; Bone marrow; Bone Marrow - blood supply; Bone Marrow - drug effects; bone marrow sinusoidal endothelial cells (BM SECs); Cancer; Chemotherapy; Cytotoxicity; Damage; Endothelial cells; Endothelial Cells - drug effects; Flavonoids; Genistein; Genistein - pharmacology; Growth factors; Male; Methotrexate; Methotrexate - adverse effects; Microvasculature; Nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III - biosynthesis; Nitric-oxide synthase; Osteoblasts; Osteoblasts - metabolism; Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 - biosynthesis; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Rodents; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - biosynthesis; apoptosis; genistein; bone marrow sinusoidal endothelial cells (BM SECs); angiogenesis
• ISSN: 0021-9541; 1097-4652
• DOI: 10.1002/jcp.27785

Cancer chemotherapy can cause significant damage to the bone marrow (BM) microvascular (sinusoidal) system. Investigations must now address whether and how BM sinusoidal endothelial cells (SECs) can be protected during chemotherapy. Herein we examined the potential protective effects of genistein, a soy‐derived flavonoid, against BM sinusoidal damage caused by treatment with methotrexate (MTX). The groups of young adult rats were gavaged daily with genistein (20 mg/kg) or placebo. After 1 week, rats also received daily injections of MTX (0.75 mg/kg) or saline for 5 days and were killed after a further 4 days. Histological analyses showed that BM sinusoids were markedly dilated (
p < 0.001) in the MTX‐alone group but were unaffected or less dilated in the genistein+MTX group. In control rats, genistein significantly enhanced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF;
p < 0.01), particularly in osteoblasts, and angiogenesis marker CD31 (
p < 0.001) in bone. In MTX‐treated rats, genistein suppressed MTX‐induced apoptosis of BM SECs (
p < 0.001 vs MTX alone group) and tended to increase expression of CD31 and VEGF (
p < 0.05). Our in vitro studies showed that genistein in certain concentrations protected cultured SECs from MTX cytotoxic effects. Genistein enhanced tube formation of cultured SECs, which is associated with its ability to induce expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and production of nitric oxide. These data suggest that genistein can protect BM sinusoids during MTX therapy, which is associated, at least partially, with its indirect effect of promoting VEGF expression in osteoblasts and its direct effect of enhancing nitric oxide production in SECs.
Flavonoid genistein may have a potency to protect bone marrow sinusoids during methotrexate therapy, which is associated, at least partially, with its indirect effect of promoting angiogenic factor vascular endothelial growth factor expression in osteoblasts and its direct effect of enhancing nitric oxide production in sinusoidal endothelial cells.