Modulatory role of quercetin against gamma radiation-mediated biochemical and morphological alterations of red blood cells.
OBJECTIVE
The present work was intended to evaluate the radioprotective effect of quercetin against gamma radiation-induced oxidative stress on red blood cells (RBC).


METHODS
Swiss albino male mice were treated with quercetin (100 mg/kg body wt) for three consecutive days prior to 5 Gy (60)Co-gamma irradiation. RBC was isolated to estimate the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), membrane lipid peroxidation (LPO), intracellular reduced glutathione (GSH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), osmotic fragility and morphological alterations by atomic force microscope (AFM).


RESULTS
Irradiation increased intracellular ROS and membrane LPO whereas it decreased the intracellular GSH. Quercetin pretreatment ameliorated these alterations. The MCHC value decreased after irradiation whereas quercetin pretreatment restored it. The average osmotic fragility (H50) and the maximum rate of hemolysis (dH/dC)max increased after irradiation. Quercetin pretreatment decreased the H50 and (dH/dC)max. The AFM study showed that irradiation transformed RBC from biconcave to echinocytes, increased their surface roughness and decreased the vertical distance whereas pretreatment of quercetin significantly prevented both the alterations.


CONCLUSIONS
Gamma radiation produced ROS and LPO which rendered oxidative stress and ultimately damaged RBC whereas quercetin ameliorated these changes and protected RBC from radiation-mediated damage.
Department of Physiology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India.
Dipesh K R
DK
Das
Anirban
A
Chakraborty
Mahuya
M
Sinha
Krishnendu
K
Manna
Dipanwita
D
Mukherjee
Anindita
A
Chakraborty
Sekhar
S
Bhattacharjee
Sanjit
S
Dey
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D005720:Gamma Rays; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D011794:Quercetin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation
D000975:Antioxidants; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D011794:Quercetin