Orally Administered Activated Charcoal as a Medical Countermeasure for Acute Radiation Syndrome in Rats

Elisaveta Snezhkova,Natalia Rodionova,Vladimir Nikolaev,Dennis Bilko,Joaquin Silvestre-Albero,Natalia Riabchenko,Mo Alavijeh,Olga Yurchenko,Marharyta Pakharenko,Alexey Sydorenko,Kvitoslava Bardakhivska

doi:10.3390/app11073174

Abstract

Activated charcoal (AC) can be taken orally as enterosorbent for treatment of pathological states related to exogenous and endogenous intoxications. Synthesized granulated AC with a highly developed active surface (SBET ~2700 m2/g) was used as a medical countermeasure (MCM) to acute radiation sickness (ARS) in rats after total body X-ray irradiation. AC demonstrates positive results in ARS treatment, as expressed in, (i) a decrease in body weight loss, (ii) a protection of bone marrow (BM) cells colony formation capacity, (iii) a reduction of BM chromosomal aberrations and small intestine and spleen tissue damage, (iv) an amelioration of white blood cell count, and (v) a mitigation of superoxide ion generation rate in the liver. AC oral prescription seems to be perspective modality of ARS treatment.

Highlights

Threats of terrorist attacks, expanding nuclear industry, widespread utilization of ionizing radiation in many technologies are potentially exposing the world population to ongoing and new radiation threats.there is an urgent need for developing new Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS) prevention and treatment strategies
bone marrow (BM) suppression is the main symptom of hematopoietic systemic injury seen in the clinic when patients receive traditional cancer therapy, such as chemo- and radiotherapy [4,16]
We demonstrated that granulated carbon enterosorbent, alone or in combination with filgrastim, possesses the myeloprotective action, which is in direct relation with total specific and mesopore surface areas of activated carbon [4]

Summary

Introduction

There is an urgent need for developing new Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS) prevention and treatment strategies. USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved colony-stimulating factors such as Neupogen, Neulasta, Leukine and thrombopoietin receptor agonist NPLATE to treat those who have received high doses of radiation [1]. These drugs, used in cancer patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy, accelerate the process of creating white blood cell, boost platelets (NPLATE) and reduce the time that the patient is vulnerable to infection and blood coagulation disorders. Oral administration of AC alone (or in combination with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in pre-clinical and clinical trials) after Irradiation or anticancer chemotherapy reduced intoxication, prevented and treated leukopenia [4]

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