Irradiation injuries anti-agents refer to drugs that can inhibit the initial stage of radiation injuries, or reduce the development of radiation injuries and promote the recovery of injuries when used early after irradiation exposure. According to the mechanism of action and the time of intervention, the irradiation injuries anti-agents are divided into four categories: radioprotectors, radiomitigators, radiation therapeutics for external radiation exposure, and anti-agents for internalized radionuclides. In this paper, the research progress of irradiation injuries anti-agents in recent years is reviewed.
Humans ; Radiation-Protective Agents/therapeutic use* ; Radiation Injuries/prevention & control*

Humans ; Radiation Injuries ; drug therapy ; prevention & control ; Radiation, Nonionizing ; Radiation-Protective Agents ; therapeutic use ; Radioactive Hazard Release ; prevention & control

Ionizing radiation causes the massive apoptosis of human tissue cells,leading to dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract and hematopoietic system.Thus,high-efficiency,low-toxicity radiation protection drugs are urgently needed.Toll-like receptor agonists have been developed based on the anti-apoptotic mechanism of tumor cells in recent years,which exert their radioprotective effects by activating downstream pathways,mainly nuclear factor-κB.Here we elucidate several agonists of Toll-like receptors involved in radiation protection,with an attempt to inform the research and development of new radiation protection agents.
Apoptosis ; Humans ; NF-kappa B ; Radiation Protection ; Radiation, Ionizing ; Radiation-Protective Agents/pharmacology* ; Toll-Like Receptors/agonists*

Depleted uranium (DU) has been widely applied in industrial and military activities, and is often obtained from producing fuel for nuclear reactors. DU may be released into the environment, polluting air, soil, and water, and is considered to exert both radiological and chemical toxicity. In humans and animals, DU can induce multiple health effects, such as renal tubular necrosis and bone malignancies. This review summarizes the known information on DU's routes of entry, mechanisms of toxicity, and health effects. In addition, we survey the chelating agents used in ameliorating DU toxicity.
Animals ; Chelating Agents ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Inactivation, Metabolic ; Radiation-Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; Uranium ; metabolism ; toxicity

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the protective effect of S-isopentenyl-L-cysteine,a new cysteine derivative,on DNA damage induced by radiation by using acute radiation injury animal models.

METHODSForty ICR mice were randomly divided into five groups:the control group,1.0Gy gamma irradiation group,1.0Gy gamma irradiation combined with S-isopentenyl-L-cysteine group,7.2Gy gamma irradiation group,and 7.2Gy gamma irradiation combined with S-isopentenyl-L-cysteine group,with 8 mice in each group.The comet assay and bone marrow polychromatic micronucleus experiments were performed to evaluate the double-strand DNA breaks in ICR mice exposed to 1.0 and 7.2Gy gamma-ray, respectively.

RESULTSThe tail DNA percentage,tail length,tail moment,and olive tail moment of peripheral blood lymphocytes in 7.2Gy gamma irradiation group were significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.01).And it was also observed that above experimental indexes of 7.2Gy gamma irradiation combined with S-isopentenyl-L-cysteine group was significantly less than that of 7.2Gy gamma irradiation group (P<0.05). In addition,the micronucleus rate of 1.0Gy gamma irradiation group and 7.2Gy gamma irradiation group were both significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.01). In addition,in mice given S-isopentenyl-L-cysteine before irradiation,the micronucleus rate of ICR mice exposed to 1.0 and 7.2Gy gamma-ray decreased from (39.5000 ± 3.3141)‰ to (28.1667±4.1345)‰ (P=0.033) and from (76.5000 ± 4.6242)‰ to (22.8333 ± 3.6553)‰(P=0.000),respectively. The bone marrow polychromatic micronucleus experiment indicated that the value of polychromatic erythrocyte (PCE)/normochromatic erythrocyte(NCE) of ICR mice exposed to 1.0 and 7.2Gy gamma-ray was less than the control group(P<0.05). Meanwhile,after irradiating by certain dose,the value of PCE/NCE in mice given S-isopentenyl-L-cysteine before irradiation was significantly higher than the corresponding groups (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS-isopentenyl-L-cysteine has a good protective effect against DNA damage induced by radiation.

Animals ; Bone Marrow ; Cysteine ; DNA Damage ; Disease Models, Animal ; Gamma Rays ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Radiation Injuries ; Radiation-Protective Agents

PURPOSE: Mefenamic acid (MEF) as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug is used as a medication for relieving of pain and inflammation. Radiation-induced inflammation process is involved in DNA damage and cell death. In this study, the radioprotective effect of MEF was investigated against genotoxicity induced by ionizing radiation in human blood lymphocytes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were collected from human volunteers and incubated with MEF at different concentrations (5, 10, 50, or 100 microM) for two hours. The whole blood was exposed to ionizing radiation at a dose 1.5 Gy. Lymphocytes were cultured with mitogenic stimulation to determine the micronuclei in cytokinesis blocked binucleated lymphocyte. RESULTS: A significant decreasing in the frequency of micronuclei was observed in human lymphocytes irradiated with MEF as compared to irradiated lymphocytes without MEF. The maximum decreasing in frequency of micronuclei was observed at 100 microM of MEF (38% decrease), providing maximal protection against ionizing radiation. CONCLUSION: The radioprotective effect of MEF is probably related to anti-inflammatory property of MEF on human lymphocytes.
Cell Death ; Cytokinesis ; DNA Damage ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans* ; Inflammation ; Lymphocytes* ; Mefenamic Acid* ; Micronucleus Tests ; Radiation, Ionizing ; Radiation-Protective Agents

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is one of the most prevalent haematological malignancies originating from haemopoietic stem/progenitor cells. MDS characterized by morbid haematopoiesis of bone marrow and peripheral blood cell reduction and mainly occurs in the elders. The dangerous factors of MDS include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, benzene, other organic solvent, immune depressants and so on. Following the recent progress of medical sciences, a large number of new regimens of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immune therapy against carcinomas generate and lead the development of therapeutics for malignancies. It is worried that the incidence of MDS still increases year by year and the patient age becomes younger. Although many agents are used to MDS, curative effect is not as good as expect. Amifostine, a kind of pancytoprotector also used in treatment of MDS. This review summarizes the mechanism of amifostine in MDS therapy which possesses a challenge binding with the current related investigations.
Amifostine ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; drug therapy ; Radiation-Protective Agents ; therapeutic use

Radiotherapy is a treatment for cancer with undesired by-effects. In order to develop a new radiation protective agent that could reduce the by-effects, we tried to express and purify human cryptochrome 1 (hCRY1). The coding sequence of hCRY1 was inserted into prokaryotic expression plasmid pET28a(+), and this protein was purified from Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) after IPTG induction, ultrasonication, inclusion body dissolution, gradient dialysis, nickel column purification and ultrafiltration. The yield of hCRY1 in 1 L E. coli culture (LB medium) was about 10-15 mg. The radiation protective efficiency of hCRY1 was monitored by detecting X-ray-induced H2A.X foci in HaCaT cells. The results of immunofluorescence show that hCRY1 significantly reduces X-ray stimulated DNA damage response. The apoptosis of HaCaT cell was also detected, and the repression of H2A.X foci formation was not due to hCRY1's cytotoxity. All these data suggest a potential application of recombinant hCRY1 as a protective agent for radiotherapy.
Cryptochromes ; biosynthesis ; Escherichia coli ; Humans ; Plasmids ; Radiation-Protective Agents ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Inonotus obliquus polysaccharides on testicular injury induced by exposure to high power microwave (HPM) in rats.

METHODSA total of 30 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, i.e., the normal control group, the microwave radiation model group, the treatment group, the new microwave radiation model group, and the prevention group, 6 in each group. All rats, except those in the normal control group, were exposed to microwave at an average power density of 200 mW/cm2 for 6 min. Rats in the control group and the model group were administered with normal saline by gastrogavage, once a day. Rats in the treatment group and the prevention group were given with Inonotus obliquus polysaccharides by gastrogavage, 2 mL each time (400 mg/kg body weight), once a day. All rats were sacrificed on the 11th day.The sperm density and the rate of sperm deformity were determined. Pathological changes of testis were observed by light microscope and transmission electron microscope.

RESULTSShort-term HPM irradiation could significantly reduce the sperm density and increase the sperm deformity rate (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, obvious pathological changes of testes occurred. Compared with the two model groups, the sperm density increased and the sperm deformity rate decreased in the treatment group and the prevention group (P < 0.05). Under the light microscope, injuries of spermatogenic cells and stromal cells, as well as vascular dilatation and congestion were obviously alleviated in the treatment group and the prevention group. Mitochondrial swelling and endoplasmic reticulum expansion shown by ultrastructural observation were also significantly alleviated. Of them, injuries of spermatogenic cells and inflammation response were milder in the treatment group than in the prevention group.

CONCLUSIONSInonotus obliquus polysaccharides had significant protective effect on microwave radiation induced testicular injury. Better effect was obtained by therapeutic medication than preventive medication.

Animals ; Basidiomycota ; chemistry ; Male ; Microwaves ; adverse effects ; Polysaccharides ; pharmacology ; Radiation Injuries, Experimental ; prevention & control ; Radiation-Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Testis ; drug effects ; pathology ; radiation effects

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Renshen Yangrong Decoction (人参养荣汤, RYD) in protecting bone marrow from radiation injury.

METHODSOne hundred and eighty Kuming mice were subjected to the three tests for anti-radiation injury effect evaluation, i.e. the test of peripheral white blood cell (WBC) count, the test of bone marrow nucleated cell count, and the bone marrow micronucleus test, using 60 mice for each test. The mice in each test were divided into 6 groups: the blank control group, the model control group, the positive control group treated by Shiyiwei Shenqi Tablet (十一味参芪片, 1.0 g/kg), and three RYD groups treated with high (42.0 g/kg), moderate (21.0 g/kg), and low (10.5 g/kg) doses of crude drugs of RYD, with 10 mice in each group. The treatment was given by gastrogavage perfusion continuously for 7-14 days before mice received (60)Co-γ ray radiation and continued until the end of the experiment. The body weights of the mice were monitored, the changes in peripheral WBC and bone marrow nucleated cells were counted, and the variation in bone marrow micronucleated cells was observed on the respective appointed days.

RESULTSA significant decrease in body weight, peripheral WBC count, and bone marrow nucleated cell count, as well as marked changes in bone marrow micronucleated cells were observed in the mice after radiation, indicating that the radiation injury model was successfully established. As compared with the model control group, the decrease in body weight, peripheral WBC count, and bone marrow nucleated cell count, as well as the increase in bone marrow micronucleus cell count in the high dosage RYD treated group were obviously inhibited or lessened (P<0.05 or P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONRYD showed obvious protective effect in mice with bone marrow injury induced by radiation.

Animals ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Bone Marrow ; drug effects ; pathology ; radiation effects ; Bone Marrow Cells ; drug effects ; pathology ; radiation effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Leukocyte Count ; Mice ; Radiation Injuries ; blood ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Radiation-Protective Agents ; pharmacology