Abstract
Although radiotherapy is widely employed in the treatment of various malignancies in oncology patients, its use is limited by the toxic effects it causes in surrounding tissues, including the gastrointestinal system. Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) is a traditional drug reported to possess antioxidant and restorative properties in various studies. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the protective effects of KRG against radiation-associated small intestinal damage. Twenty-four male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned into three groups. No procedure was performed on Group 1 (control) during the experiment, while Group 2 (x-irradiation) was exposed to radiation only. Group 3 (x-irradiation + ginseng) received ginseng via the intraperitoneal route for a week prior to x-irradiation. The rats were killed 24 h after radiation. Small intestinal tissues were evaluated using histochemical and biochemical methods. An increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and a decrease in glutathione (GSH) were observed in the x-irradiation group compared to the control group. KRG caused a decrease in MDA and caspase-3 activity and an increase in GSH. Our findings show that it can prevent damage and apoptotic cell death caused by x-irradiation in intestinal tissue and can therefore play a protective role against intestinal injury in patients receiving radiotherapy.
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AO and LT designed the study. AO, LT, TM, TCS, MU, SK, GD and AP performed the experiments. TM and TCS performed the histopathological analysis. HKY and EYK performed the biochemical analysis. AO, LT, TM and TCS wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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The animal experiments were performed in conformity with the laws and regulations for animal experiments in Helsinki Declarations and were approved by the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University local animal care committee (Rize, Turkey, decision no. 2021/14 dated 27.05.2021). Experimental procedures were carried out following the directives for the care and use of laboratory animals.
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Ozdemir, A., Tumkaya, L., Mercantepe, T. et al. The protective effects of ginseng on x-irradiation-induced intestinal damage in rats. Radiat Environ Biophys 62, 395–402 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-023-01039-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-023-01039-y