Antioxidant N-acetylcysteine attenuates the acute liver injury caused by X-ray in mice.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of different doses and administration modes of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) against X-ray -induced liver damage in mice. Kun-Ming mice were divided into four groups, each composed of six animals: two control groups and two NAC-treated groups. An acute study was carried out to determine alterations in lipid peroxidation (determined by measuring malondiadehyde (MDA) level), glutathione (GSH) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (assayed by colorimetric method), and DNA damage (characterized by DNA-single strand break using with comet assay) as well as cell apoptosis (measured by flow cytometry) at 12 h after irradiation. The results showed that there were dose-related decreases in MDA level, DNA damage and cell apoptosis, and dose-dependent increases in GSH content and SOD activity in all NAC-treated groups compared to control groups, indicating that pre-treatment or post-treatment with NAC significantly attenuates the acute liver damage caused by X-ray. In addition, significant positive correlations were observed between MDA level and DNA damage or cell apoptosis, implying that lipid peroxidation plays a major role in X-ray-induced liver injury. The data suggest that NAC exerts its radioprotective effect by counteracting accumulated reactive oxygen species in the liver through its properties as a direct antioxidant and a GSH precursor, when administered before or after X-ray irradiation.
Liu
Yang
Y
Department of Medical Physics, Institute of Modern physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China.
Zhang
Hong
H
Zhang
Luwei
L
Zhou
Qingming
Q
Wang
Xiaohu
X
Long
Jing
J
Dong
Tao
T
Zhao
Weiping
W
D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003124:Colorimetry; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D014965:X-Rays