Effects of commercially produced almond by-products on chemotherapy-induced mucositis in rats

Table 1 Effects of almond extracts on bodyweight change, food and water intake and urine and faeces output in saline-injected rats and in 5-fluorouracil injected rats from days 10-12

	Sal+PBS	Sal+ AHE1	Sal+ AHE2	Sal+ ABW1	Sal+ ABW2	5-FU+PBS	5-FU+AHE1	5-FU+AHE2	5-FU+ ABW1	5-FU+ ABW2
Body weight change with respect to day 9(%)	3.7 ± 0.6	4.0 ± 1.0	1.6 ± 0.9	2.3 ± 1.1	2.6 ± 0.9	-7.2 ± 1.5b	-9.5 ± 1.9b	-7.3 ± 1.3b	-7.0 ± 1.1b	-7.2 ± 1.2b
Water intake (mL/kgbw)	256 ± 49	247 ± 28	184 ± 18	236 ± 22	200± 28	275 ± 27	244 ± 18	296 ± 22	348 ± 38a	284 ± 28
Food intake (%bw)	6.7 ± 0.5	6.9 ± 0.5	6.9 ± 0.4	6.7 ± 0.6	6.4 ± 0.5	5.1 ± 0.3b	5.2 ± 0.4a	5.4 ± 0.3a	4.9 ± 0.3b	4.8 ± 0.3b
Urine output (mL/kgbw)	103 ± 11	99 ± 12	98 ± 8	103 ± 9	89 ± 6	175 ± 19b	202 ± 20b	180 ± 25b	215 ± 19b	164 ± 18b
Faeces output (g/kgbw)	39 ± 9	31 ± 5	40 ± 10	34 ± 6	24 ± 3	31 ± 4	35 ± 5	29 ± 6	31 ± 4	28 ± 5

Data are expressed as means ± SEM. 0.05.

^aP < 0.05 vs saline + PBS,

^bP < 0.01 vs saline + PBS. 5-FU: 5-fluorouracil; PBS: Phosphate-buffered saline; AHE: Almond hull extract; ABW: Almond blanched water.

Table 2 Effects of almond extracts on organ weights of female Dark Agouti rats 72 hr after 5-fluorouracil or saline injection

	Sal+PBS	Sal+ AHE1	Sal+ AHE2	Sal+ABW1	Sal+ ABW2	5-FU+PBS	5-FU+AHE1	5-FU+AHE2	5-FU+ ABW1	5-FU+ ABW2	5-FU+AHE2
Thymus	20 ± 1	21 ± 1	19 ± 1	20 ± 1	21 ± 1	10 ± 2b	10 ± 3b	8 ± 1b	8 ± 1b	10 ± 3b	8 ± 1b
Heart	40 ± 1	40 ± 1	42 ± 1	41 ± 1	42 ± 1	40 ± 2	43 ± 3	42 ± 1	40 ± 1	40 ± 3	42 ± 1
Lung	64 ± 3	74 ± 8	67 ± 3	69 ± 2	71 ± 4	77 ± 4	71 ± 6	72 ± 5	78 ± 1	77 ± 5	72 ± 5
Liver	374 ± 16	361 ± 13	372 ± 10	358 ± 11	380 ± 8	360 ± 14	383 ± 21	384 ± 9	380 ± 12	416 ± 16ad	384 ± 9
Stomach	58 ± 4	62 ± 2	64 ± 2	52 ± 5	57 ± 4	58 ± 5	63 ± 5	60 ± 4	55 ± 5	52 ± 5	60 ± 4
Caecum	40 ± 2	35 ± 4	38 ± 2	37 ± 1	38 ± 2	55 ± 5b	48 ± 4a	46 ± 4a	57 ± 2b	51 ± 5a	46 ± 4a
Spleen	23 ± 1	27 ± 2	24 ± 1	26 ± 2	25 ± 2	18 ± 1a	18 ± 1a	17 ± 1b	17 ± 1b	18 ± 1a	17 ± 1c
Left kidney	41 ± 2	43 ± 2	42 ± 1	40 ± 1	40 ± 1	40 ± 1	43 ± 2	41 ± 1	42 ± 1	43 ± 1	41 ± 1
Right kidney	42 ± 2	44 ± 2	43 ± 1	41 ± 1	42 ± 1	44 ± 1	43 ± 1	44 ± 1	42 ± 1	43 ± 1	44 ± 1
Adrenal glands	3 ± 1	3 ± 1	3 ± 1	2 ± 1	3 ± 1	3 ± 1	8 ± 1	3 ± 5	7 ± 4	3 ± 1	3 ± 5

Organ weights are expressed as % (wtg/gbwt). Data are expressed as means ± SEM.

^aP < 0.05 vs saline + PBS,

^bP < 0.01 vs saline + PBS,

^cP < 0.05 vs 5-FU + PBS,

^dP < 0.01 vs 5-FU + PBS. All values are 10^-2. 5-FU: 5-fluorouracil; PBS: Phosphate-buffered saline; AHE: Almond hull extract; ABW: Almond blanched water.

Table 3 Effects of almond extracts on gastrointestinal organ weights and lengths of female Dark Agouti rats 72 h after 5-fluorouracil or saline injection

	Sal +PBS	Sal + AHE1	Sal + AHE2	Sal + ABW1	Sal + ABW2	5-FU +PBS	5-FU +AHE1	5-U +AHE2	5-FU + ABW1	5-FU + ABW2
Duodenum
Weight (10-2)	31 ± 1	31 ± 2	33 ± 3	31 ± 2	30 ± 1	31 ± 3	28 ± 1	31 ± 2	32 ± 1	30 ± 2
Length	6.2 ± 0.2	6.0 ± 0.2	6.1 ± 0.2	6.3 ± 0.1	6.1 ± 0.1	5.9 ± 0.3	5.9 ± 0.2	5.9 ± 0.1	5.7 ± 0.1	6.0 ± 0.3
Jejunum + ileum
Weight (10-2)	230 ± 5	226 ± 8	221 ± 6	222 ± 7	229 ± 7	210 ± 11a	208 ± 10b	203 ± 6b	212 ± 11a	209 ± 9a
Length	75.1 ± 1.3	74.8 ± 1.4	75.8 ± 1.2	74.5 ± 0.9	75.4 ± 1.0	71.3 ± 0.9a	70 ± 1.5b	70.1 ± 1.9b	71.5 ± 0.7a	71.6 ± 1.0a
Colon
Weight	58 ± 1	59 ± 2	58 ± 2	58 ± 2	60 ± 2	66 ± 2	64 ± 3	68 ± 4a	73 ± 4b	69 ± 4b
Length	13.0 ± 0.6	13.1 ± 0.5	13.0 ± 0.4	12.8 ± 0.2	13.0 ± 0.2	11.5 ± 0.3a	11.3 ± 0.6a	11.5 ± 0.4a	11.0 ± 0.4b	10.9 ± 0.8b

Organ weights are expressed as % (wtg/gbwt) and lengths are expressed in cm. Data are expressed as means ± SEM.

^aP < 0.05 vs saline + PBS,

^bP < 0.01 vs saline + PBS. 5-FU: 5-fluorouracil; PBS: Phosphate-buffered saline; AHE: Almond hull extract; ABW: Almond blanched water.

Table 4 Severity scoring parameters for jejunum and ileum

		Villus blunting	Crypt distortion	Reduction in goblet cell numbers	Dilation of lymphatics	Thickening of submucosa	Thickening of muscularis externa	Enterocyte disruption	Lymphocytic and PMN infiltration
Sal + PBS	J	0	0	0	0	0.06 ± 0.06	0	0	0
	I	0.19 ± 0.12	0	0	0	0.31 ± 0.15	0.19 ± 0.12	0	0
Sal + AHE1	J	0	0	0	0	0.13 ± 0.08	0	0	0
	I	0	0	0	0	0.31 ± 0.15	0.13 ± 0.12	0	0
Sal + AHE2	J	0	0	0	0	0.21 ± 0.14	0	0	0
	I	0.07 ± 0.07	0	0.14 ± 0.13	0	0.07 ± 0.07	0.07 ± 0.07	0	0
Sal + ABW1	J	0.13 ± 0.12	0	0	0	0.13 ± 0.12	0	0	0
	I	0	0.06 ± 0.06	0	0	0.13 ± 0.12	0.06 ± 0.06	0	0
Sal + ABW2	J	0	0	0	0	0.25 ± 0.13	0.13 ± 0.08	0	0
	I	0.13 ± 0.12	0	0.12 ± 0.12	0	0.38 ± 0.15	0.19 ± 0.12	0	0
5-FU +PBS	J	1.63 ± 0.15b	1.38 ± 0.17b	1.81 ± 0.12b	1 ± 0b	0.88 ± 0.12b	0.88 ± 0.12b	1 ± 0b	1 ± 0b
	I	1.56 ± 0.24b	1.62 ± 0.17b	1.89 ± 0.12b	1 ± 0b	0.88 ± 0.21b	0.63 ± 0.17a	1 ± 0.18b	1 ± 0b
5-FU +AHE1	J	1.71 ± 0.17b	1.43 ± 0.19b	1.86 ± 0.13b	1 ± 0b	0.79 ± 0.14b	0.71 ± 0.14b	1 ± 0b	1 ± 0b
	I	1.64 ± 0.17b	1.57 ± 0.21b	1.79 ± 0.2b	1 ± 0b	1 ± 0b	1 ± 0b	1 ± 0b	1 ± 0b
5-FU +AHE2	J	1.79 ± 0.14b	1.71 ± 0.17b	2 ± 0b	0.93 ± 0.07b	1 ± 0b	0.93 ± 0.07b	1 ± 0b	1 ± 0b
	I	1.86 ± 0.13b	1.57 ± 0.19b	1.93 ± 0.07b	1 ± 0b	0.71 ± 0.2b	0.64 ± 0.22a	1 ± 0b	1 ± 0b
5-FU + ABW1	J	1.44 ± 0.16b	1.25 ± 0.15b	1.63 ± 0.17b	1 ± 0b	0.94 ± 0.19b	0.88 ± 0.19b	0.88 ± 0.12b	0.88 ± 0.12a
	I	1.25 ± 0.15b	1.25 ± 0.15b	1.63 ± 0.17b	1 ± 0b	0.88 ± 0.12b	0.88 ± 0.12b	1 ± 0b	1 ± 0b
5-FU + ABW2	J	1.75 ± 0.13b	1.19 ± 0.12b	1.94 ± 0.06b	1 ± 0b	0.88 ± 0.15b	0.63 ± 0.17b	1.13 ± 0.12b	1 ± 0b
	I	1.75 ± 0.15b	1.56 ± 0.16b	1.75 ± 0.15b	1 ± 0b	0.94 ± 0.06b	0.69 ± 0.15a	1 ± 0b	1 ± 0b

Data are expressed as means ± SEM.

^aP < 0.05 vs saline + PBS,

^bP < 0.01 vs saline + PBS. 5-FU: 5-fluorouracil; PBS: Phosphate-buffered saline; AHE: Almond hull extract; ABW: Almond blanched water.