Protective effect of enriched diet plus growth hormone administration on radiation-induced intestinal injury and on its evolutionary pattern in the rat.
Adequate nutritional support can enhance the protective action of growth hormone in radiation-induced mucositis. Our aim is to address the evolutionary pattern of radiation injury to the small intestine of rats fed a high-protein diet and treated with growth hormone before irradiation. Male Wistar rats were fed a high-protein diet and killed two, four or seven days after irradiation. Animals were given either growth hormone or saline. The combination of growth hormone and high-protein diet reduced mortality, increased mucosal height and crypt proliferation, and reduced apoptosis from day 2 to day 7 after irradiation. Bacterial translocation was increased in rats fed the high-protein formula. Insulin-like growth factor was reduced by radiation and further reduced by the high-protein diet. The combination of growth hormone and high-protein diet protects from the damage caused by radiation to the bowel and accelerates its recovery. This effect does not seem to be mediated through insulin-like growth factor levels.
Vázquez
I
I
Department of Experimental Surgery, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
Gómez-de-Segura
I A
IA
Grande
A G
AG
Escribano
A
A
González-Gancedo
P
P
Gómez
A
A
Díez
R
R
De Miguel
E
E
D000818:Animals; D018988:Bacterial Translocation; D001835:Body Weight; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D011833:Radiation Injuries, Experimental / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D004044:Dietary Proteins; D013006:Growth Hormone