title: Protective effect of the herbal preparation, STW 5, against intestinal damage induced by gamma radiation in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  STW 5 (marketed as Iberogast(®), Steigerwald Arzneimittelwerk GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany) is a herbal preparation reported to possess anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidant activity. We investigated the effect of STW 5 against intestinal injury induced after whole body exposure to ionizing radiation (IR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Intestinal mucositis was induced in rats by irradiation at a level of 6 Gy. STW 5 (5 ml/kg) was delivered orally for 5 days before irradiation and 2 days after. Rats were sacrificed, jejunum homogenates were tested to assess biochemical parameters indicating intestinal injury and jejunum segments were exposed to semi-quantitative histological examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IR led to an increase in overall damage severity (ODS) score associated with a significant rise in tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) by 46% and 50% (p ≤ 0.05), respectively, whereas the reduced glutathione (GSH), sucrase and alkaline phosphatase enzyme activities were significantly decreased by 68%, 76% and 25% (p ≤ 0.05), respectively, in intestinal homogenates. IR led to a reduction of plasma citrulline. Pre-treatment with STW 5 guarded against the changes in ODS score and in all parameters measured.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pre-treatment with STW 5 has the potential to decrease the severity of radiation-induced mucositis.
authors.affiliation: Drug Radiation Research Department, National Centre for Radiation Research & Technology, Atomic Energy Authority , Nasr City, Cairo , Egypt.
authors.forename: Mona A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: El-Ghazaly
authors.forename: Rania M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: El-Hazek
authors.forename: Mohamed T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Khayyal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005720:Gamma Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents
keywords: Gamma radiation; STW 5; mucositis