title: Effects of Hesperidin as a Radio-protector on Apoptosis in Rat Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes after Gamma Radiation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hesperidin (HES), as the most abundant flavonoid existing in the citrus, is widely used by human daily. The radio-protective effects of Hesperidin have been confirmed in various measurement systems. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Hesperidin on the changes in the apoptosis level and expression of apoptotic genes target (bax, bcl-2 and ration of bax/bcl-2) in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of male rats after gamma radiation.
  
  
  METHODS
  64 male rats were divided into eight groups: Control, HES (100 mg/kg b.w, orally, 7 days), whole body irradiation with 2 and 8Gy, pre-administrated with 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight of Hesperidin for 7 days before irradiation with 2 and 8 Gy. 24 hours after radiation, apoptotic lymphocytes were evaluated using PE Annexin V Apoptosis detection I kit and the levels of mRNA for bax and bcl-2 were evaluated by real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant reduction in apoptosis of the lymphocytes was demonstrated in group animals receiving 8 Gy compared to the group which received 2 Gy irradiation (p<0.0001). However, apoptosis significantly increased in group of rats who received Hesp before irradiation (p<0.05). The increase of apoptosis by Hesperidin administration can be attributed to the decreased expression of bax and significantly reduced expression of bcl-2 and finally increasing the ration of bax/bcl-2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that administration of 50 and 100 mg/kg of Hesperidin induces apoptotic effects by changing expression level of bax, bcl-2 and also the ratio of bax/bcl2.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor of Medical Physics, Radiology Department, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fardid
authors.affiliation: MSc of Radiobiology & Radiation Protection, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Zh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ghorbani
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor of Medical Physics, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Gh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Haddadi
authors.affiliation: Professor of Molecular Biology and Medical Virology, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Behzad-Behbahani
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arabsolghar
authors.affiliation: MSc of Radiobiology & Radiation Protection, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kazemi
authors.affiliation: Research assistant, Diagnostic Laboratory Sciences and Technology Research Center, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Okhovat
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor of Pharmacy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hosseinimehr
keywords:  Apoptosis ;  Bax ;  Radio-protector ;  bcl-2 ; Hesperidin 