title: Protection against radiation-induced conditioned taste aversion by Centella asiatica.
abstract: Radiations are known to cause behavioural perturbations like conditioned taste aversion (CTA), performance decrement, learning, etc., even at very low doses. The manifestation of radiation-induced behavioural degradation has not been understood well and requires further studies. Therefore, the effects of low-dose whole-body 60Co gamma-irradiation in male rats were studied in terms of body weight and CTA learning. For CTA, the consumption of saccharin solution was considered as a parameter. To protect against the adverse effects of radiation, Centella asiatica (aqueous extract) was tested and compared with ondansetron, a standard antiemetic drug. A dose of 2 Gy incurred significant body weight loss [t(9)=9.00, P<.05] and induced CTA in rats [t(26)=9.344, P<.01]. Administration of C. asiatica (100 mg/kg bw ip, 2 Gy, -1 h) rendered significant radioprotection against radiation-induced body weight loss and CTA that became evident on the second postirradiation day [t(7)=0.917, P>>.05; t(7)=4.016, P>.05]. Ondansetron (1 mg/kg bw) elicited higher degree of protection against CTA [t(7)=3.641, P>.05] than C. asiatica [t(7)=7.196, P>.05] on the first postirradiation day, but on the second postirradiation day, both were equally effective [t(7)=3.38, P>.05; t(7)=4.01, P>.05]. In case of C. asiatica-treated animals, however, there was a consistently declining CTA from the second to the fifth postirradiation day whereas in ondansetron-treated animals it was inconsistent. Present investigation suggests that C. asiatica could be useful in preventing radiation-induced behavioural changes during clinical radiotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Biology Division, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, DRDO, Lucknow Marg, New Delhi 110 054, India.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shobi
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Goel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000528:radiation effects*; D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D008297:Male; D017294:Ondansetron / Q000494:pharmacology; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011867:Radioisotope Teletherapy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013649:Taste / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000528:radiation effects; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation
chemical_list: D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents; C005084:TECA; D014315:Triterpenes; D017294:Ondansetron