Effect of epithalon on the incidence of chromosome aberrations in senescence-accelerated mice

The incidence of chromosome aberrations in bone marrow cells of 12-month-old SAMP-1 female mice characterized by accelerated aging was 1.8 times higher than in wild-type SAMR-1 females and 2.2 times higher than in SHR females of the same age. Treatment with Epithalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) starting from the age of 2 months decreased the incidence of chromosome aberrations in SAMP-1, SAMR-1, and SHR mice by 20%, 30.1%, and 17.9%, respectively, compared to age-matched controls (p<0.05). Treatment with melatonin (given with drinking water in a dose of 20 mg/liter in night hours) had no effect on the incidence of chromosome aberrations in SHR mice. These data indicate antimutagenic effect of Epithalon, which probably underlies the geroprotective effect of this peptide.