Abstract:
The present study has been conducted to evaluate the radioprotective effect of L-carnitine against γ-irradiation-induced tissue damage in mice. Adult male mice were exposed to 1 Gy γ-irradiation either in the absence and/or presence of L-carnitine at dose of 10 mg kg-1 body weight/day over a period of 10 days. Present results revealed that γ-irradiation stimulated TNF-α mRNA expression 12 folds compared to control, meanwhile treatment of L-carnitine for one week before and throughout γ-irradiation exposure period suppressed TNF-α mRNA expression to L-carnitine-induced level. Similar results were obtained for IL-1β and IFN-γ mRNA expression. On histopathological examination, treatment with L-carnitine alone did not induce any detectable pathological lesions. However, γ-irradiation induced a variety of pathological changes in liver, kidney and spleen. In liver, there was a marked dilatation and congestion of hepatic veins, most of hepatocytes showed vacuolation and displayed distinct nuclear changes in response to radiation while L-carnitine pretreatment showed regenerative activity as represented by high frequency of binucleated hepatocytes. In case of kidney, γ-irradiation induced congestion, interstitial haemorrhages and degenerative changes. Renal tissue structures were restored on co-treatment with L-carnitine. Additionally, spleen showed marked congestion and haemorrhages. The marginal zones revealed depletion of their cellular contents, especially from the macrophages and lymphocytes. L-carnitine restored more or less normal organization of spleen in γ-irradiation treated group. These results clarified the immunomodulatory effects of L-carnitine and its radioprotective role against tissue injury induced by γ-irradiation on molecular basis.
Samir A. Elshazly, Mohamed M. Ahmed, H.E. Hassan and Zein S. Ibrahim, 2012. Protective Effect of L-carnitine Against γ-Rays Irradiation-induced Tissue Damage in Mice. American Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2: 120-132.
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