Abstract
Purpose: Radiotherapy is a crucial treatment approach for many types of cancer. Radiation pneumonitis (RP) is one of the major complications in chest irradiation. Fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide found mainly in various species of brown seaweed. Recent studies have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory effects of fucoidan. However, no study has reported a well-established prophylactic agent for RP. Therefore, we investigated the effects of fucoidan on RP and radiotherapy (RT)-induced lung fibrosis. Materials and Methods: We compared RP and RT-induced fibrosis in lung tissue specimens obtained from irradiated (10 Gy/shot) C57BL/6 mice with or without fucoidan administration (200 mg/kg/day, oral gavage for 14 days). The expression patterns of cytokines in the pleural fluid were determined using a cytokine array and confirmed through enzyme immunoassays. Results: Fucoidan administration attenuated RP and RT-induced fibrosis in lung tissues. Decreased neutrophil and macrophage accumulation was observed in irradiated lung tissues, and radiation-induced lung fibrosis, as demonstrated by Masson trichrome staining, was attenuated. We investigated the expression patterns of inflammatory cytokines in the irradiated lung pleural fluid through the protein array; results revealed that fucoidan administration changed the expression patterns of inflammatory cytokines in irradiated lung tissues. Furthermore, the expression levels of TIMP-1, CXCL1, MCP-1, MIP-2, and interleukin-1Ra were substantially enhanced in the pleural fluid, but fucoidan administration significantly reduced their expression. Conclusions: Fucoidan changes the expression patterns of inflammatory cytokines, which may consequently attenuate RP and RT-induced lung fibrosis.
Highlights
Radiotherapy (RT) is an important approach for treating tumors [1]
The present study investigated the effects of fucoidan on Radiation pneumonitis (RP) and RT-induced lung fibrosis
Mice were divided into four groups, namely sham, RT, RT + fucoidan, On the basis of the anti-inflammatory effect of fucoidan, we investigated its role in RT-induced and fucoidan, andinsacrificed on day
Summary
The treatment protocol can include curative, adjuvant, neoadjuvant, therapeutic, or palliative therapy, depending on the tumor type, location, and stage as well as the health status of patients [2,3]. The acute phase typically occurs between 4 and 12 weeks following the completion of the RT course; it may occur as early as 1 week after RT, in patients receiving a high total dose or concurrent chemotherapy [5]. Dyspnea, low-grade fever, chest discomfort, and pleuritic pain. The pathology of RP reflects an acute response of the lung to radiation and includes loss of type I pneumocytes and increased capillary permeability that result in interstitial and alveolar edema and the ingress of inflammatory cells into alveolar spaces
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