Postirradiation Protection of X-Irradiated Mice with Olive Oil

Abstract

Olive oil administered intraperitoneally is both protective and therapeutic to whole-body x-irradiated male Swiss white mice. This beneficial effect is manifested during the bone marrow phase by an increase in survival, a change in the mortality distribution, and a decrease in weight loss. The effect was most pronounced in the MLD group, where almost 90% of the postirradiation oil- treated animals survived. The intraperitoneal administration of lycopene had a questionable effect on irradiated mice. A carefully controlled comparative experiment on irradiation methodology demonstrates the tremendous importance of rigorously controlling physical and biological parameters in radiation protection studies. (auth)