Therapeutic effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on mitomycin C (MMC)-induced myelosuppressive mice.

Aim: To investigate the therapeutic effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on mitomycin C (MMC)-induced myelosuppressive mice.
Methods: Mice were intravenously injected with MMC 150 mg/kg for two consecutive days from day -1 to day 0 to produce severe myelosuppression, and then treated by s.c. injections of LBP (100 or 200 mg/kg/day) from days 0 to 6. Blood samples were collected from the tail veins of mice on days 7, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19, 21, 24 and 27, and peripheral white blood cells (WBC), red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB) and platelet counts (PLT) etc. were monitored.
Results: LBP at 100 mg/kg (LBP-L) on day 14 and LBP at 200 mg/kg (LBP-H) on days 10, 14, 17, 19 and 21, significantly ameliorated the decrease of peripheral RBC, HGB and hematocrit (HCT) of myelosuppressive mice compared to the control. LBP-L on days 12 and days 14 and LBP-H on days 10, 12, 14, 17, 19 and 21, significantly enhanced peripheral PLT recovery of myelosuppressive mice compared to the control. LBP-H on days 12, 17, 19 and 21, significantly inhibited the increase of mean platelet volume (MPV) of myelosuppressive mice compared to the control. LBP showed no obviously effect on neutropenia induced in mice by MMC.
Conclusion: LBP is effective on peripheral RBC and PLT recovery of MMC-induced myelosuppressive mice.