Vitamins A, C, and E May Reduce Intestinal 210Po Levels after Ingestion

Abstract

Damage to the gut mucosa is a probable contributory cause of death from ingested 210Po. Therefore, medical products are needed that can prevent, mitigate, and/or repair gastrointestinal (GI) damage caused by high-LET radiation emitted by 210Po. The present studies investigated the capacity of a diet highly enriched with vitamins A, C, and E (vitamin ACE) to protect against intestinal mucosal damage indicated by functional reductions in nutrient transport caused by orally ingested 210Po. Mice were gavaged with 0 or 18.5 kBq 210Po-citrate and fed a control or vitamin ACE-enriched diet (the latter beginning either 96 h before or immediately after gavage). Mouse intestines significantly retained 210Po on day 8 post-gavage. The concentration of 210Po in intestinal tissues was significantly (p<0.05) lower in all vitamin ACE groups compared to control. There were borderline significant 210Po-induced reductions in intestinal absorption of D-fructose. The combination of vitamins A, C, and E may reduce 210Po incorporation in the intestines when given before, or enhance decorporation when provided after, 210Po gavage.

Radiation Protection and Mitigation by Natural Antioxidants and Flavonoids: Implications to Radiotherapy and Radiation Disasters

“…A combination of α-tocopherol acetate and ascorbic acid may have some synergic effects on radiation toxicity as well as reduction of radioactive particles that may be absorbed after a radiation accident [282]. Administering this combination (10mg/kg each) before and after irradiation of rats showed effective treatment when applied before exposure.…”