The Combined Effects of Amifostine and Interleukin 1 Beta (IL-1beta) on Radiation-induced Gastrointestinal and Hematopoietic Injury

Jang, Seong Soon; Park, Woo Yoon

Abstract

PURPOSE
The pattern of radioprotection by the combined use of low dose amifostine plus IL-1beta was investigated in mice exposed to an acute whole-body radiation dose of 10 Gy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male ICR mice were divided into the control group, the irradiation-only group, the high dose amifostine (400 mg/kg i.p. 30 min before irradiation) group, and the low dose amifostine (200 mg/kg i.p. 30 min before irradiation) plus IL-1beta (5 microgram/kg i.p. 20 h before irradiation) group. The radioprotective effects were evaluated using TUNEL assay and microcolony survival assay at jejunal crypt, bone marrow cell count and CBC in peripheral blood, and survival analysis up to 30 days following irradiation. RESULTS: The apoptotic index (p=0.987), surviving crypt number (p=0.484), and the number of WBCs (p=0.226), RBCs (p=0.544), and platelets (p=0.157) were not significantly different between the high dose amifostine group and the low dose amifostine plus IL-1beta group, although the bone marrow cell count was higher in the combination group. The irradiation-only group was dead within 15 days. However, the survival rate at 30 days in the high dose amifostine and the low dose amifostine plus IL-1beta pretreatments were 61% and 66%, respectively. Moreover, the differences between the two groups were insignificant for both 10 days (p=0.9461) and 30 days (p=0.8030). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the low dose amifostine plus IL-1beta may be applied as a non-toxic radioprotector, while the high dose amifostine, known as the strongest radioprotector, however, had toxic side effects.