title: Astaxanthin attenuates total body irradiation-induced hematopoietic system injury in mice via inhibition of oxidative stress and apoptosis.
abstract: The hematopoietic system is especially sensitive to total body irradiation (TBI), and myelosuppression is one of the major effects of TBI. Astaxanthin (ATX) is a powerful natural anti-oxidant with low toxicity. In this study, the effect of ATX on hematopoietic system injury after TBI was investigated.
  
  
  
  Flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), expression of cytochrome C, cell apoptosis, and NRF2-related proteins. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect Nrf2 translocation. Western blot analysis was used to evaluate the expression of apoptotic-related proteins. Enzymatic activities assay kits were used to analyze SOD2, CAT, and GPX1 activities.
  
  
  
  Compared with the TBI group, ATX can improve radiation-induced skewed differentiation of peripheral blood cells and accelerate hematopoietic self-renewal and regeneration. The radio-protective effect of ATX is probably attributable to the scavenging of ROS and the reduction of cell apoptosis. These changes were associated with increased activation of Nrf2 and downstream anti-oxidative proteins, and regulation of apoptotic-related proteins.
  
  
  
  This study suggests that ATX could be used as a potent therapeutic agent to protect the hematopoietic system against TBI-induced bone marrow suppression.
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Key Lab of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Tianjin, 300192, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Lei
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Key Lab of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Tianjin, 300192, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Dan
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Key Lab of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Tianjin, 300192, China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Key Lab of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Tianjin, 300192, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Fei
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Tianjin, 300020, China.
authors.forename: Wei-Min
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Key Lab of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Tianjin, 300192, China. zhangjunling@irm-cams.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Jun-Ling
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Key Lab of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Tianjin, 300192, China. fansaijun@irm-cams.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Sai-Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000528:radiation effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D006413:Hematopoietic System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000293:injuries / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation; D024341:Xanthophylls / Q000494:pharmacology; D000094765:Glutathione Peroxidase GPX1; D000099156:Superoxide Dismutase 2
chemical_list: D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D024341:Xanthophylls; D000094765:Glutathione Peroxidase GPX1; D000099156:Superoxide Dismutase 2; C495636:Nfe2l2 protein, mouse; C005948:astaxanthine; C000722068:Gpx1 protein, mouse
keywords: Astaxanthin; Cell apoptosis; Hematopoietic stem cells; Ionizing radiation; Reactive oxygen species