Caffeic acid protects human peripheral blood lymphocytes against gamma radiation-induced cellular damage.
In the present study, we investigated in vitro radioprotective potential of caffeic acid (CA), a naturally occurring catecholic acid against gamma radiation-induced cellular changes. Different concentrations of CA (5.5, 11, 22, 44, 66, and 88 microM) were incubated with lymphocytes for 30 min prior to gamma-irradiation, and micronuclei (MN) scoring and comet assay were performed to fix the effective concentration of CA against gamma-irradiation. Among all concentrations, 66 microM of CA showed the optimum protection by effectively decreasing the MN frequencies and comet attributes. From the above-mentioned results, 66 microM of CA was selected as the effective concentration and was further used to investigate its radioprotective efficacy. For that purpose, a separate experiment was carried out on the lymphocytes in which lymphocytes were preincubated with CA (66 microM) and were exposed to different doses of radiation (1, 2, 3, and 4 Gy). Genetic damage (MN, dicentric aberration, and comet attributes) and biochemical changes were measured. Gamma-irradiated lymphocytes showed a dose-dependent increase in the genetic damage and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, accompanied by the significant decrease in the antioxidant status, whereas CA pretreatment positively modulated all the radiation-induced changes through its antioxidant potential. The current study demonstrates that CA is effective in protecting lymphocytes against radiation-induced toxicity and encourages further in vivo study to evaluate radioprotective efficacy of CA.
Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar 608002, Tamil Nadu, India.
Nagarajan
N
Devipriya
Adluri Ram
AR
Sudheer
Venugopal P
VP
Menon
D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D002109:Caffeic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005720:Gamma Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D048629:Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000975:Antioxidants; D002109:Caffeic Acids; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents; C040048:caffeic acid