Irradiation-induced Oxidative Injury Research Articles

The effect of magnesium and vitamin E pre-treatments on irradiation-induced oxidative injury of cardiac and pulmonary tissues in rats: a randomized experimental study

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pre-treatment with the free radical scavenging molecules, magnesium and vitamin E, on lipid peroxidation to limit radiation-induced heart and lung injury. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups by a simple randomization method as saline-treated control (n=4), saline-treated irradiated (IR; n=6), magnesium sulphate-treated irradiation (IR) (Mg+IR; n=6) and vitamin E-treated IR (vit E+IR; n=6), respectively. The animals were given either saline, Mg (600 mg/kg/day) or vit E (100 mg/kg/day) intraperitoneally for five days prior to irradiation. Twelve hours after the fifth injection, animals in irradiation groups were irradiated to 20 Gy using 6 MV photons in linear accelerator. Twenty-four hours later cardiac and lung tissue samples were obtained for determination of myeloperoxidase activity (MPO), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and luminol and lucigenin levels measured by chemiluminescence (CL) methods. No significant changes were observed between cardiac and pulmonary MDA and CL results of the experimental groups. However, cardiac and pulmonary MPO activities in the saline-treated IR group were increased as compared to control group (p<0.05 for all), while in the Mg-pretreated and vit E pretreated groups neutrophil infiltration was reduced, reaching to statistical significance only in the Mg-pretreated group (p<0.05). Prophylactic use of magnesium sulfate has limited the infiltration of neutrophils to both the cardiac and pulmonary tissues at the early 24 h of irradiation. However, how limiting neutrophils as the sources of free radicals and inflammatory mediators would alter oxidative stress of heart and lung tissues in the long-term is not clear yet.

Schisandrin B protects against solar irradiation-induced oxidative injury in BJ human fibroblasts

The effects of schisandrin B (Sch B) and its analogs on solar irradiation-induced oxidative injury were examined in BJ human fibroblasts. Sch B and schisandrin C (Sch C) increased cellular reduced glutathione (GSH) level and protected against solar irradiation-induced oxidative injury. The photoprotection was paralleled by decreases in the elastases-type protease activity and matrix-metalloproteinases-1 expression in solar-irradiated fibroblasts. The cytochrome P-450-mediated metabolism of Sch B or Sch C caused ROS production. The results suggest that by virtue of its pro-oxidant action and the subsequent glutathione antioxidant response, Sch B or Sch C may offer the prospect of preventing skin photo-aging.

Schisandrin B protects against solar irradiation-induced oxidative stress in rat skin tissue

Schisandrin B (Sch B) and schisandrin C (Sch C), but not schisandrin A and dimethyl diphenyl bicarboxylate, protected rat skin tissue against solar irradiation-induced oxidative injury, as evidenced by a reversal of solar irradiation-induced changes in cellular reduced glutathione and α-tocopherol levels, as well as antioxidant enzyme activities and malondialdehyde production. The cytochrome P-450-mediated metabolism of Sch B or Sch C caused ROS production in rat skin microsomes. Taken together, Sch B or Sch C, by virtue of its pro-oxidant action and the subsequent eliciting of a glutathione antioxidant response, may prevent photo-aging of skin.

Inhibition of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides and Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides against oxidative injury induced by γ-irradiation in rat liver mitochondria

Lycium barbarum and Ganoderma lucidum, the two precious traditional Chinese medicines, possesses the antitumor activity, antioxidant activity and the capability of modulating the immune system. In the present study, the possible antioxidant effects of L. barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) isolated from dried L. barbarum fruits and Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (GLP) isolated from dried G. lucidum against membrane damage induced by the free radicals generated during γ-irradiation were examined in rat liver mitochondria. Using an effective dose of 450 Gy, antioxidant effects of GLP and LBP were studied against oxidative damage in terms of protection against lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, depletion of protein thiols and the levels of the antioxidant enzyme, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). The results showed that both GLP and LBP significantly protects against irradiation-induced loss of protein thiols and inactivation of SOD, CAT and GSH-Px in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibitory effects of GLP, at the entire concentration range, are stronger than LBP. Moreover, the two polysaccharides are more effective than α-tocopherol (VE) in inhibiting irradiation-induced oxidative injury. Hence our results indicate that GLP and LBP have potent antioxidant properties in vitro in mitochondrial membranes of rat liver.

In Vivo Radioprotective Effects of Nigella sativa L Oil and Reduced Glutathione Against Irradiation-Induced Oxidative Injury and Number of Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes in Rats

In Vivo Radioprotective Effects of Nigella sativa L Oil and Reduced Glutathione Against Irradiation-Induced Oxidative Injury and Number of Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes in Rats

In Vivo Radioprotective Effects of Nigella sativa L Oil and Reduced Glutathione Against Irradiation-Induced Oxidative Injury and Number of Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes in Rats

Radiotherapy is one of the most common therapies for treating human cancers. Several studies have indicated that irradiation induces reactive oxygen species (ROS), which play an important role in radiation damage of the cell. It has been shown that Nigella sativa L. (NS) and reduced glutathione (GSH) have both an antiperoxidative effect on different tissues and a scavenger effect on ROS. The purpose of this study was to determine the antioxidant and radio-protective roles of NS and GSH against irradiation-induced oxidative injury in an experimental model. The NS group was administrated NS (1 mL/kg body weight), the GSH group was injected GSH (150 mg/kg body weight) and the control group was given physiologic saline solution (1 mL/kg body weight) for 30 consecutive days before exposure to a single dose of 6 Gy of radiation. Animals were sacrificed after irradiation. Malondialdehyde, nitrate, nitrite (oxidative stress markers) and ascorbic acid, retinol, beta-carotene, GSH and ceruloplasmin (nonenzymatic antioxidant markers) levels and peripheral blood lymphocytes were measured in all groups. There were statistically significant differences between the groups for all parameters (P < 0.05). Whole-body irradiation caused a significant increase in blood malondialdehyde, nitrate and nitrite levels. The blood oxidative stress marker levels in irradiated rats that were pretreated with NS and GSH were significantly decreased; however, non-enzymatic antioxidant levels were significantly increased. Also, our results suggest that NS and GSH administration prior to irradiation prevent the number of alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase peripheral blood T lymphocytes from declining. These results clearly show that NS and GSH treatment significantly antagonize the effects of radiation. Therefore, NS and GSH may be a beneficial agent in protection against ionizing radiation-related tissue injury.