The Effect of Pentoxifylline on Radiation-Induced Cardiac Injury in ICR Mice

Kang, Yun Kyung; Yang, Kwang Mo; Kang, Seung Hee; Suh, Hung Suk

Abstract

PURPOSE: Chest irradiation leads to a significant cardiac injury in a number of patients. To prevent, or to reduce the risk of radiation-induced cardiac injury, pentosifylline(PTX), a haemorrheologic agent that improves the blood flow through small blood capillaries has been employed.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
One hundred and eighty ICR mice were divided into three study groups : control, radiation alone, and radiation-pentoxifylline. Each group was subdivided into 12 subgroups: 1,3,6 and 10 days and 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16 and 20 weeks y observation period after irradiation. The total 15 Gy of radiation was delivered in a single fraction ghrough anterior mediastinal port. Pentoxifylline was injected subcutaneously daily 50mg/k to the back of the mice from the first day of irradiation throughout the observation period. The mice of each group after a certain observation period were sacrificed and sectioned for histopathologic examination of the heart.
RESULTS
he findings of acute radiation-induced carditis i.e., heterohpilic infiltration and vacuolization and ballooning of endotherlial cells were onserved upto weeks and reduced sharply afterwards. The late radiation effects including pericarditis with mononuclear cell infiltration, pericardial fibrosis, endothelial cell changes, myocardial degenerationa dn fibrosis present from 4 weeks onwards after irradiation but with various degree of severity. The overall process of pathologic changes of radiation-pentoxify-acute stage was relatively short and the severity of late cardiac toxicity was much lesser compared with those of radiation alone group.
CONCLUSION
Pentoxifyllline can effectively reduce the late radiation-induced cardiac injury and resolve the acute effects relatively rapidly.