• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.237-242
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• 2004

The radioprotective effects of Melatonin and Ge-132 on acute hematopoietic injury was investigated in mice exposed to an acute whole-body radiation dose of 8 Gy. Melatonin was administered intraperitoneally 1 hour before irradiation at a dose of 200 mg/kg, and Ge-132 was administered orally from days 5 to 20 after irradiation at a dose 130 - 150 mg/kg/d. The radioprotective effects were evaluated for spleen using TUNEL assay, and in peripheral blood by counting lymphocyte & WBC. The 4 experimental groups (irradiation-only, melatonin pretreatment, Ge-132 posttreatment, and melatonin pretreatment plus Ge-132 posttreatment) were observed for survival analysis up to 30 days following irradiation. The apoptotic index (47.8% vs 45.9%, p=0.385), and the number of lymphocytes ($97/{\mu}{\ell}\;vs\;101/{\mu}{\ell}$, p=0.898) were not significantly different between the irradiation-only and the melatonin pretreatment group, But the number of WBCs ($147/{\mu}{\ell}\;vs\;306/{\mu}{\ell}$, p=0.010) was higher in the melatonin pretreatment group. The irradiation-only, melatonin, Ge-132, and melatonin plus Ge-132 treatments resulted in survival rate at 30 days of 21.4%, 100%, 35.7%, and 85.7%, respectively. The melatonin pretreatment group in survival analysis between groups was showed significantly higher survival than the irradiation-only(p=0.000), or Ge-132 posttreatment group(p=0.0003). These results indicate that the melatonin may have a potential as an effective radioprotector on acute hematopoietic syndrome following radiation exposure.