Anti-apoptotic and antioxidant effects of low dose gamma irradiation against diabetes-induced brain injury in rats

Abstract

The current study aimed to investigate the effect of different low doses of gamma irradiation on hyperglycemia-induced brain injury. The aim was further extended to investigate the sub-chronic effect of low dose radiation on the neuronal damage induced by diabetes. To induce diabetes, male albino rats were injected with dexamethasone (10 mg/kg/day, for 9 successive days, subcutaneously). Different diabetic groups were irradiated with 0.1, 0.25 and 0.5 Gy. The effect of low dose gamma irradiation on the hyperglycemia-induced brain damage based was analyzed at two levels: oxidative stress and apoptosis. The brain contents of glutathione, malondialdhyde and total nitrate/nitrite were measured to assess the oxidative stress. In order to evaluate the extent of the apoptotic changes in brain, tissue caspase-3 expression was detected using immunohistochemistry and the degree of DNA fragmentation was estimated. Moreover, brain tissues were examined using light microscopy to evaluate the histological changes in different groups and serum lactate dehydrogenase activity was determined as an indicator for the brain tissue damage. Results indicated that exposure to 0.5 Gy ameliorated the hyperglycemia and subsequently inhibited oxidative stress and apoptosis. Radiation exposure at this dose level also increased the survival rate of diabetic animals.

Apigenin and Exposure to Low Dose Gamma Radiation Ameliorate Acetic Acid-Induced Ulcerative Colitis in Rats

“…They are stimulated to raise their defensive activities by repairing, radioadaptive or protective processes 21 including activation of protein synthesis and DNA repair. 22 The beneficial activities of ionizing radiation have been reported in the management of cancer 23 along with several noncancerous diseases, for example, neurodegenerative diseases, 24 diabetes and diabetic induced complications, 25,26 and hypertension. 27 With respect to the gastrointestinal tract, most of the previous radiation literature tended to be dominated by studies of hazardous high doses.…”

Low-Dose Radiation Therapy for Neurological Disorders: A Double-Edged Sword

“…Table 1 (Ref. [28,30,35,[37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55]) presents a detailed summary of research on the therapeutic effects of LDR on different neurological disorders in both clinical and preclinical settings. The initial case report, which described significant improvements in an advanced AD patient receiving hospice care after undergoing five brain computed tomography (CT) scans (each approximately 40 mGy) over a period of three months in 2016, was a critical observation [39].…”

“…For instance, in beagle dogs with spinal cord injury, LDR promoted axonal regeneration and enhanced locomotion [51]. Additionally, LDR exhibited anti-apoptotic and antioxidant effects in brain injury induced by diabetes in rats [52].…”

Therapeutic potential of low dose ionizing radiation against cancer, dementia, and diabetes: evidences from epidemiological, clinical, and preclinical studies

“…The elevated antioxidants reduced lipid peroxidation, and inhibition of apoptotic pathways are responsible for controlling the brain damage induced due to hyperglycemia. Further, the study also reported exposure to IDR elevates the survival rates of diabetic animals [ 86 ]. Overall, these preclinical studies clarify the beneficial effects of LDIR/IDR exposure to reduce diabetes 1 and 2 symptoms.…”