Abstract
Lycopene (LYC) is a natural pigment present in tomatoes and other red fruits and vegetables including red carrots, red peppers, watermelons, pink grapefruits, apricots, pink guavas, and papaya. There is some evidence that LYC may provide protection against mutations induced by ionizing radiation. The study aimed to investigate whether the genetic material of reticulocytes (RET) could be protected from radiation-induced damage by LYC. Mice were treated with LYC [0.15 mg/kg bodyweight (bw), 0.30 mg/kg bw], acute and fractionated irradiation (0.5 Gy, 1 Gy applied daily), or with both agents (0.5 Gy + 0.15 mg/kg bw LYC, 0.5 Gy + 0.30 mg/kg bw LYC, 1 Gy + 0.15 mg/kg bw LYC, 1 Gy + 0.30 mg/kg LYC). LYC supplementation was started at 24 h or 1 week after the first irradiation. Irradiation significantly enhanced the frequency of micronuclei (MN) in RET. LYC treatment at a dose of 0.15 mg/kg bw 24 h after starting fractionated radiation at 1 Gy significantly decreased (41–68%, p < 0.0125) the level of MN in peripheral blood and bone marrow RET. LYC supplementation at 0.30 mg/kg bw did not significantly alter the frequency of MN in peripheral blood, but significantly increased the frequency of bone marrow RET MN. LYC treatment on day 8 following the first radiation exposure showed results similar (92–117%, p > 0.24) to those obtained with irradiation alone. Lycopene may act as a radiomitigator but must be administered at low doses and as soon as possible after irradiation. Contrary, combined exposure with high doses of irradiation and LYC may enhance the mutagenic effect of irradiation.
Highlights
Ionizing radiation (IR) is continuously present in the natural environment and at various human workplaces
The present study aimed to investigate whether protection of the genetic material of reticulocytes (RET) from damage expressed as radiation-induced micronuclei, could be achieved by co-administration of LYC at different times after irradiation
The concentration of DMSO in drinking water with LYC was less than 0.25%. 8-week-old male mice were exposed to LYC (0.15 mg/kg body weight or 0.30 mg/kg bw, daily), irradiation with X-rays (0.5 Gy or 1 Gy, daily), or a combination of both agents (0.5 Gy + 0.15 mg/kg bw LYC, 0.5 Gy + 0.30 mg/kg bw LYC, 1 Gy + 0.15 mg/kg bw LYC, 1 Gy + 0.30 mg/kg bw LYC daily)
Summary
Ionizing radiation (IR) is continuously present in the natural environment and at various human workplaces. The dose of naturally occurring radiation, i.e., the background effective dose is estimated to be ~ 2.4 mSv per year, and about 3 mSv including artificial sources (UNSCEAR 2008). There are two primary mechanisms of IR interactions with biological matter: direct effects owing to deposition of energy with a macromolecule, and indirect effects from the interaction of energy with water to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) (Barcellos-Hoff et al 2005). For both types of electromagnetic waves that can ionize atoms, i.e., X-rays and γ-rays, 60% of the damage is caused by indirect effects. The impact of IR is a function of the physical attributes
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