Radiation biology. Radioecology
ISSN: 0869-8031

Archives → 2022 → Vol. 62, № 5 → pp. 523-531

Article

Melatonin Reduces Radiation Damage to the Spleen and Increases Survival when Administered Before and after Exposure to X-Ray Radiation in Mice

Abdullaev S.A.^{1, 2}, Glukhov S.I.¹, Gaziev A.I.¹

¹Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Russia ²SSC A.I. Burnazyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center of the FMBA of Russia, Moscow, Russia

Abstract

Damage to the spleen of mice was studied after irradiation of their whole body with X-rays at a dose of 5 Gy and modulation of these damages by the administration of melatonin (MEL). At the same time, the effect of MEL on the survival of mice irradiated at doses of 5 and 9 Gy was determined. At the same time, damage and repair of nuclear DNA, levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) and the frequency of micronucleus induction in mouse bone marrow cells were assessed. The results showed that in the spleen of MEL-treated mice, post-irradiation DNA repair is more active than in the control groups. At the same time, the effect of MEL modulation is more pronounced in the tissues of mice that were injected with MEL after irradiation. The levels of MDA are sharply reduced in the spleen of mice injected with MEL, while the content of GSH is significantly increased. In irradiated mice injected with MEL, a decrease in the frequency of micronuclei is also observed. Survival results in mice showed that MEL provided effective protection against X-ray exposure. The observed radiation protection of MEL is more pronounced when it is administered to mice after their irradiation at doses of 5 and 9 Gy. Thus, MEL reduces radiation damage to the spleen and increases the survival rate of mice when it is administered before and after their irradiation.

Keywords

Spleen, melatonin, radioprotector, radiomitigator, DNA repair, malondialdehyde, glutathione, micronuclei, survival of mice