Abstract
The protective effect of Lycium ruthenicum Murr. against radiation injury was examined in mice. Kunming mice were randomly divided into a control group, model group, positive drug group and L. ruthenicum high dose (8 g/kg), L. ruthenicum middle dose (4 g/kg), L. ruthenicum low dose (2 g/kg) treatment groups, for which doses were administered the third day, seventh day and 14th day after irradiation. L. ruthenicum extract was administered orally to the mice in the three treatment groups and normal saline was administered orally to the mice in the control group and model group for 14 days. The positive group was treated with amifostine (WR-2721) at 30 min before irradiation. Except for the control group, the groups of mice received a 5 Gy quantity of X-radiation evenly over their whole body at one time. Body weight, hemogram, thymus and spleen index, DNA, caspase-3, caspase-6, and P53 contents were observed at the third day, seventh day, and 14th day after irradiation. L. ruthenicum could significantly increase the total red blood cell count, hemoglobin count and DNA contents (p < 0.05). The spleen index recovered significantly by the third day and 14th day after irradiation (p < 0.05). L. ruthenicum low dose group showed a significant reduction in caspase-3 and caspase-6 of serum in mice at the third day, seventh day, and 14th day after irradiation and L. ruthenicum middle dose group experienced a reduction in caspase-6 of serum in mice by the seventh day after irradiation. L. ruthenicum could decrease the expression of P53. The results showed that L. ruthenicum had protective effects against radiation injury in mice.
Highlights
Ionizing radiation has become one of the most significant threats to human health
Can significantly protect normal cells and reduce apoptosis after radiation therapy, and it is the only cytoprotective agent approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as a radioprophylactic [1,2]
The body weight of mice began to increase at six days after irradiation
Summary
Ionizing radiation has become one of the most significant threats to human health. Ionizing radiation as well as water, air, and noise pollution are regarded as four major kinds of pollution in the world. Can significantly protect normal cells and reduce apoptosis after radiation therapy, and it is the only cytoprotective agent approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as a radioprophylactic [1,2]. The search for anti-radiation drugs is one of the most important tasks, which could have a positive effect on patients after radiation therapy. Natural chemicals have the advantages of low toxicity, wide effects and so on. They can be applied to many target organs and can reduce radiation damage it is important to search for high efficiency, low toxicity, radioprotective agents from natural products. Research on radiation protectants has gradually expanded from the previous synthetic-compound chemicals to natural anti-radiation drugs and functional foods. Scholars have already achieved some results [6,7,8]
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