title: Protective effects of seabuckthorn pulp and seed oils against radiation-induced acute intestinal injury.
abstract: Radiation-induced gastrointestinal syndrome, including nausea, diarrhea and dehydration, contributes to morbidity and mortality after medical or industrial radiation exposure. No safe and effective radiation countermeasure has been approved for clinical therapy. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential protective effects of seabuckthorn pulp and seed oils against radiation-induced acute intestinal injury. C57/BL6 mice were orally administered seabuckthorn pulp oil, seed oil and control olive oil once per day for 7 days before exposure to total-body X-ray irradiation of 7.5 Gy. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were used for the measurement of apoptotic cells and proteins, inflammation factors and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases. Seabuckthorn oil pretreatment increased the post-radiation survival rate and reduced the damage area of the small intestine villi. Both the pulp and seed oil treatment significantly decreased the apoptotic cell numbers and cleaved caspase 3 expression. Seabuckthorn oil downregulated the mRNA level of inflammatory factors, including tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and IL-8. Both the pulp and seed oils elevated the level of phosphorylated extracellular-signal-regulated kinase and reduced the levels of phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p38. Palmitoleic acid (PLA) and alpha linolenic acid (ALA) are the predominant components of pulp oil and seed oil, respectively. Pretreatment with PLA and ALA increased the post-radiation survival time. In conclusion, seabuckthorn pulp and seed oils protect against mouse intestinal injury from high-dose radiation by reducing cell apoptosis and inflammation. ALA and PLA are promising natural radiation countermeasure candidates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, PR China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Jiangsu Province Geriatric Hospital, 30 Luojia Road, Nanjing 210024, PR China.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, PR China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, PR China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, PR China.
authors.forename: Yaqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Qinghai Tsinghua Biotry Bio-Tech Co., Ltd, 3 Jingsan Road, Qinghai Biological Technology Park, Xining 810016, PR China.
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiangqing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, PR China weisun7919@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism; D031281:Hippophae / Q000737:chemistry*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D007422:Intestines / Q000201:enzymology / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D000069463:Olive Oil / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D000069463:Olive Oil; D010938:Plant Oils; D020011:Protective Agents; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
keywords: apoptosis; inflammation; radiation injury; seabuckthorn