title: Amifostine remediates the degenerative effects of radiation on the mineralization capacity of the murine mandible.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Radiotherapy, a cornerstone of head and neck cancer treatment, causes substantial morbidity to normal adjoining bone. The authors assessed the radioprotective effect of amifostine therapy on the mineralization of the mandible using micro-computed tomography. They hypothesized that amifostine would safeguard the mandible from radiation-induced disruption of the mineralization process and the associated failure of new bone creation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into three groups: control (n = 8), radiation therapy (n = 5), and amifostine (n = 8). Animals in the radiation therapy and amifostine groups underwent human bioequivalent radiation of 70 Gy in five fractions to the left hemimandible. Fifty-six days after irradiation, the hemimandibles were harvested for radiomorphometric analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Amifostine-treated animals exhibited less alopecia, mucositis, and weight loss in addition to increased cortical density in comparison with those treated with radiation therapy. Bone and tissue mineral densities showed statistically significant improvement in amifostine versus radiation therapy, and no difference was observed between amifostine and control groups. Detailed micro-computed tomographic analysis further demonstrated significant differences in the mineralization profile when comparing radiation therapy and amifostine. Amifostine maintained regions of lower mineralization consistent with the preservation of normal remodeling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The authors have successfully demonstrated the ability of amifostine pretreatment to protect the natural mineralization profile of bone. This reflects the capacity of amifostine prophylaxis to safeguard the normal surrounding mandible from the impediments of collateral damage imposed by irradiation. Further study can correlate these findings with the potential use of amifostine to prevent the devastating associated morbidities of radiotherapy such as pathologic fractures and osteoradionecrosis.
authors.affiliation: Ann Arbor, Mich. From the University of Michigan Medical School; the University of Michigan; and Orthopedic Surgery, University of Michigan.
authors.forename: Catherine N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Tchanque-Fossuo
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Donneys
authors.forename: Sagar S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Deshpande
authors.forename: Noah S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Matt J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Boguslawski
authors.forename: K Kelly
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sarhaddi
authors.forename: Behdod
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Poushanchi
authors.forename: Steven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: Steven R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Buchman
mesh_terms: D004999:Amifostine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002113:Calcification, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008852:Microradiography; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011833:Radiation Injuries, Experimental / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents; D004999:Amifostine