Ionizing Radiation as a Source of Oxidative Stress—The Protective Role of Melatonin and Vitamin D

Abstract

Ionizing radiation (IR) has found widespread application in modern medicine, including medical imaging and radiotherapy. As a result, both patients and healthcare professionals are exposed to various IR doses. To minimize the negative side effects of radiation associated with oxidative imbalance, antioxidant therapy has been considered. In this review, studies on the effects of melatonin and vitamin D on radiation-induced oxidative stress are discussed. According to the research data, both substances meet the conditions for use as agents that protect humans against IR-induced tissue damage. Numerous studies have confirmed that melatonin, a hydro- and lipophilic hormone with strong antioxidant properties, can potentially be used as a radioprotectant in humans. Less is known about the radioprotective effects of vitamin D, but the results to date have been promising. Deficiencies in melatonin and vitamin D are common in modern societies and may contribute to the severity of adverse side effects of medical IR exposure. Hence, supporting supplementation with both substances seems to be of first importance. Interestingly, both melatonin and vitamin D have been found to selectively radiosensitise cancer cells, which makes them promising adjuvants in radiotherapy. More research is needed in this area, especially in humans.

Prenatal Screening of Trisomy 21: Could Oxidative Stress Markers Play a Role?

“…In 2017, Zubillaga et al proved that adults with T21 are at greater risk of vitamin D deficiency, and the additional supplementation brings beneficial results [38]. Palacios et al showed that vitamin D supplementation is necessary for decreasing the risk of pregnancy-related abnormalities, including pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, decreased birth weight, and other related diseases [35,36,[38][39][40][41][42]. In our study, decreased levels of vitamin D were found among women carrying T21 fetuses, similar to the results received in T21 individuals [41].…”

“…Palacios et al showed that vitamin D supplementation is necessary for decreasing the risk of pregnancy-related abnormalities, including pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, decreased birth weight, and other related diseases [35,36,[38][39][40][41][42]. In our study, decreased levels of vitamin D were found among women carrying T21 fetuses, similar to the results received in T21 individuals [41]. The data obtained in the study showed decreased 25-OH vitamin D concentrations below the recommended level (<30 ng/mL) [32].…”

Oxidative stress and radioiodine treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer

“…Thus, additional antioxidant supplementation could be implemented to neutralize the increased level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) responsible for the RAI-related side-effect occurrences. Although the pathophysiology that underlies the association of RAI with oxidative stress in DTC patients requires further investigation, supplementation with antioxidants may be useful due to their radioprotective effects 20 . Notably, Jafari et al demonstrated the radioprotective effect of vitamin C supplementation in DTC patients ablated with RAI 18 .…”

Molecular Hydrogen as a Potential Clinically Applicable Radioprotective Agent

“…Based on the mechanisms of this drug, basic studies on its radioprotective effects have been conducted using cultured cells and experimental animals [ 62 ], but it has not yet been used clinically as a radioprotective agent. In addition, antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and melatonin have also been studied for their potential as radioprotective agents [ 11 , 16 , 20 ]. However, they are not as safe as H 2 , because it has been reported that the overdose of these antioxidants increases mortality in systematic reviews and meta-analyses [ 63 ].…”

“…For instance, the radioprotective effects of many synthetic and natural compounds have been investigated. Cytokines such as granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin (IL)-1, IL-12, and natural compounds such as vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, melatonin, succinate, alpha lipoic acid, and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) have been reported to exhibit radioprotective effects in animal studies [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Many drugs are in various stages of evaluation, but many are far from being ideal radioprotective agents.…”