title: Radioprotective Effect of Beta D-Glucan and Vitamin E on Gamma Irradiated Mouse.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is shown that beta-D-glucan is an immunologic system booster with radioprotectory effects. Radioprotectors are chemical components that can alleviate biological damage produced by ionizing radiation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to investigate the synergistic radioprotectory effects of beta-D-glucan and vitamin E on irradiated mice with60Co source.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 240 female mice were arranged in four, equal population groups of control group (C), treated group with beta D-glucan (G), treated group with vitamin E (E), and treated group with both beta D-glucan and vitamin E (G+E). Each group was divided into three equal population groups of D6, D7 and D8 exposed to60Co radiation with prescribed total body dose of 6, 7 and 8 Gray (Gy), respectively. After the exposure, the number of survived animals was counted by time, then Lethal Dose50/30(LD50/30), Lethal Dose50/60(LD50/60) and Dose Reduction Factor (DRF) were calculated in all groups and corresponding groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on the results of current study, treatment of the animals with vitamin E did not change values of LD50/30and LD50/60, in comparison to control group. LD50/30and LD50/60of treated groups with beta D-glucan and beta D-glucan + vitamin E showed significant difference with those of control group (p<0.01). The DRF values in groups E, G and G + E, were calculated respectively as 1, 1.25 and 1.375 based on LD50/30, and respectively as 1, 1.17 and 1.33 based on LD50/60. While values of DRF in groups G and G + E showed significant difference in comparison to that of control group (p<0.01), but the difference between DRF of groups G and G + E was not significant (p=0.395).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of study obviously showed that, presence of beta D-glucan in the body of mice, during exposure to ionizing radiation, leads to DRF of higher than one, proving the radioprotectory effect of this agent. Also, we demonstrated that, while vitamin E had no radioprotectory effect on irradiated mice, beta D-glucan in combination with vitamin E increased resistance of mice against ionizing radiation.
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Physiotherapy Research Center, School of Rehabilitation, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran .
authors.forename: Faraj
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tabeie
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Physiotherapy Research Center, School of Rehabilitation, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Mehdi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Tabatabaei
authors.affiliation: Instructor, Department of Molecular Imaging and Radionuclide Therapy (MIRT), The Persian Gulf Nuclear Medicine Research Center, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences , Bushehr, Iran .
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahmoud-Pashazadeh
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Molecular Imaging and Radionuclide Therapy (MIRT), The Persian Gulf Nuclear Medicine Research Center, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences , Bushehr, Iran .
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Assadi
keywords: Ionizing radiation; Radioprotectors; Toxicity