title: Evaluation of caffeine as a radioprotector in whole-body irradiated male mice.
abstract: Caffeine is the main psychoactive ingredient of coffee, tea and even colas. This study investigated the radioprotection of caffeine in mice. Mice were irradiated with 6.5 Gy. A caffeinetreated group was administered 80 mg/kg-body weight by an i.p injection at 1 hour before irradiation. At 6 hours after irradiation, the animals were sacrificed for the study. Hormonal analysis was performed with radioimmunoassay on serum. The expression kinetics of the apoptotic genes after irradiation was evaluated with RT-PCR. The weight of body and organ and H and E-stained slides did not show differences between groups. The circulating testosterone significantly decreased in the irradiated group. The expression of Fas antigen, p21, p53, bax and bcl2 related to radiation- induced apoptosis was comparable to that of the caffeine-untreated group. Bax mRNA dramatically increased in the irradiated group, but not in the irradiated caffeine -treated group. The results indicate that caffeine protects an early apoptotic initiation after irradiation.
authors.affiliation: Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 150 Dukjin-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejon 305-353, Korea. jkkim@kaeri.re.kr
authors.forename: Jin Kyu
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ji Hyang
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yong Dal
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D002110:Caffeine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D011833:Radiation Injuries, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C494827:Bax protein, mouse; C493957:Cdkn1a protein, mouse; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D019014:fas Receptor; D002110:Caffeine; D013739:Testosterone