Enhancement of Antiradiation Potential of Some Aminothiols by Beta-Carotene

Abstract

In the present study, protection of mice, BALB/c inbred as measured by survival at 30 days against whole-body gamma exposure at two dose levels, namely, 7.60 and 10.12 Gy by prior irradiation treatment with combination of β-carotene, N-(2-mercapto-propionyl)-glycine (MPG) and S-(2-aminoethyl) isothiouroniumbromide hydrobromide (AET), is reported. It was found that administration of β-carotene (1 mg per 20 g body mass) and 24 h before whole-body irradiation (7.60 Gy) had significantly improved the post-irradiation survival. It was also found that administration of a combination of AET (260 mg per kg body mass) and MPG (60 mg per kg body mass) 20 min before exposure to 7.60 Gy gamma irradiation to mice which have been treated with β-carotene (1 mg per 20 g body mass) 24 h before exposure had resulted in 80% survival in comparison to 10% survival recorded for control animals. On the other hand, when the animals were exposed to a higher dose (10.12 Gy) under similar experimental conditions as above, a significant improvement in survival was observed during the first 10 days following the exposure but only a slight effect afterward. On the other hand, the response of male and female mice 10 days after exposure to the above radiation dose indicated that the females were more radioresistant than the males.