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Biomater Sci 2022 May 19. Epub 2022 May 19.

The PLA Rocket Force Characteristic Medical Center, Beijing, China.

Radiotherapy of abdominal and pelvic tumors almost inevitably injures the intestine by oxidative stress and causes inflammation. Regrettably, traditional radioprotective agents for irradiation (IR) induced intestinal injury suffer from challenges such as poor solubility, unsatisfactory bioactivity and undesired adverse reactions, which significantly limit their usefulness. Polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA-NPs) have shown promising potential in scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and suppressing inflammation. Read More

Int J Radiat Biol 2022 May 18:1-12. Epub 2022 May 18.

Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine Institute of Radiation Medicine, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Tianjin, China.

With the development of nuclear technology and radiotherapy, the risk of radiation injury has been increasing. Therefore, it is important to find an effective radiation-protective agent. In this study, we designed and synthesized a novel compound called Compound 8, of which the radioprotective effect and mechanism were studied. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2022 Apr 22;23(9). Epub 2022 Apr 22.

Division of Radiation Health, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.

The gastrointestinal (GI) system is highly susceptible to irradiation. Currently, there is no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medical countermeasures for GI radiation injury. The vitamin E analog gamma-tocotrienol (GT3) is a promising radioprotector in mice and nonhuman primates (NHP). Read More

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2022 Jun 10;238:113583. Epub 2022 May 10.

Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, PR China. Electronic address:

An average daily increase of 10 μg/m in NO concentrations could lead to an increased mortality in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular of 1.89%, 2.07%, but the mechanism by which NO contributes to cardiotoxicity is rarely reported. Read More

Front Cell Dev Biol 2022 26;10:892575. Epub 2022 Apr 26.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Radiation-induced rectal injury is a common side effect of radiotherapy. Hypoxia often occurs after radiotherapy. This study aimed to explore the bystander effect of hypoxia on radiation-induced rectal injury. Read More

Front Pharmacol 2022 19;13:852669. Epub 2022 Apr 19.

Department of Gastroenterology, The PLA Rocket Force Characteristic Medical Center, Beijing, China.

Radiation-induced intestinal injury (RIII) occurs after high doses of radiation exposure. RIII restricts the therapeutic efficacy of radiotherapy in cancer and increases morbidity and mortality in nuclear disasters. Currently, there is no approved agent for the prevention or treatment of RIII. Read More

Front Oncol 2022 11;12:848107. Epub 2022 Apr 11.

State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College of Soochow University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.

The high radiosensitivity of the intestinal epithelium limits the outcomes of radiotherapy against abdominal malignancies, which results in poor prognosis. Currently, no effective prophylactic or therapeutic strategy is available to mitigate radiation toxicity in the intestine. Our previous study revealed that the green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) attenuates radiation-induced intestinal injury (RIII). Read More

Rev Environ Health 2022 Apr 20. Epub 2022 Apr 20.

Department of Zoology, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.

The gastrointestinal (GI) system has rapidly proliferating and differentiating cells, which make it one of the most radiosensitive organs in the body. Exposure to high dose of ionising radiation (IR) during radiotherapy may generate a variety of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) including radicals, cause some side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, pain, ulceration, mal-absorption etc. Irradiation disrupts GI system by damaging proliferating stem cells of the crypts that alters the histology and physiology of intestine. Read More

Front Public Health 2022 28;10:862598. Epub 2022 Mar 28.

Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.

It is difficult to study the intestinal damage induced by space radiation to astronauts directly, and few prediction models exist. However, we can simulate it in patients with pelvic tumor radiotherapy (RT). Radiation-induced intestinal injury (RIII) is common in cancer patients who receieved pelvic and abdominal RT. Read More

Methods Cell Biol 2022 12;168:235-247. Epub 2022 Jan 12.

Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States; Center for Dietary Supplements Research, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States. Electronic address:

Ionizing radiation (IR) is a significant contributor to the contemporary market of energy production and an important diagnostic and treatment modality. Besides having numerous useful applications, it is also a ubiquitous environmental stressor and a potent genotoxic and epigenotoxic agent, capable of causing substantial damage to organs and tissues of living organisms. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is highly sensitive to IR. Read More

Molecules 2022 Mar 16;27(6). Epub 2022 Mar 16.

College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.

Sour orange ( L.) is one of the biological sources of polymethoxyflavones (PMFs), which are often used to deal with gastrointestinal diseases. The intestine is highly sensitive to irradiation damage. Read More

Nat Commun 2022 03 17;13(1):1413. Epub 2022 Mar 17.

Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 322000, Yiwu, China.

Protecting the whole small intestine from radiation-induced intestinal injury during the radiotherapy of abdominal or pelvic solid tumors remains an unmet clinical need. Amifostine is a promising selective radioprotector for normal tissues. However, its oral application in intestinal radioprotection remains challenging. Read More

Radiat Oncol 2022 Feb 9;17(1):30. Epub 2022 Feb 9.

Departments of Radiation Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, 06351, South Korea.

Background: Several studies have reported patient-related risk factors for late rectal bleeding following conventionally fractionated radiotherapy for prostate cancer. We investigated patient-related risk factors for late rectal bleeding after hypofractionated radiotherapy.

Methods: A total of 231 patients with local or locally advanced prostate cancer treated with hypofractionated radiotherapy (70 or 67. Read More

Front Pharmacol 2021 18;12:773150. Epub 2022 Jan 18.

School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.

Radiation-induced enteropathy (RIE) is one of the most common and fatal complications of abdominal radiotherapy, with no effective interventions available. Pyroptosis, a form of proinflammatory regulated cell death, was recently found to play a vital role in radiation-induced inflammation and may represent a novel therapeutic target for RIE. To investigate this, we found that micheliolide (MCL) exerted anti-radiation effects . Read More

J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022 Apr 13;37(4):734-740. Epub 2022 Feb 13.

Key Laboratory of Precision Nutrition and Food Quality, Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.

Background And Aim: Colonic stem cells play important roles in both normal epithelial turnover and injury repair. Lgr5 colonic stem cells are highly susceptible to DSS-induced damage. However, it is still unclear how colonic stem cells regenerate injured epithelium during colitis. Read More

Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022 03 21;595:7-13. Epub 2022 Jan 21.

School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China. Electronic address:

The intestinal tract is an essential component of the body's immune system, and is extremely sensitive to exposure of ionizing radiation. While ionizing radiation can effectively induce multiple forms of cell death, whether it can also promote ferroptosis in intestinal cells and the possible interrelationship between ferroptosis and intestinal immune function has not been reported so far. Here, we found that radiation-induced major ultrastructural changes in mitochondria of small intestinal epithelial cells and the changes induced in iron content and MDA levels in the small intestine were consistent with that observed during cellular ferroptosis, thus suggesting occurrence of ferroptosis in radiation-induced intestinal damage. Read More

J Cell Mol Med 2022 03 27;26(5):1621-1628. Epub 2022 Jan 27.

Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China.

The Hippo signalling pathway has been considered as potential therapeutic target in self-renewal and differentiation of stem and progenitor cells. Thus, mammalian Ste20-like kinase 1/2 (MST1/2) as the core serine-threonine kinases in the Hippo signalling pathway has been investigated for its role in immunological disease. However, little information of MST1/2 function in bone marrow suppression induced by ionizing radiation was fully investigated. Read More

Int Immunopharmacol 2022 Apr 22;105:108551. Epub 2022 Jan 22.

Department of Medical Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330006, China; Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Clinical Translational Cancer Research, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330006, China; Radiation Induced Heart Damage Institute of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330006, China. Electronic address:

Recently, immunotherapy has become one of the most promising strategies in the treatment of malignant tumors. However, nonspecific immune activation may lead to immunotherapy-related adverse effects (irAEs). IrAEs involve almost all organs and may be life-threatening. Read More

Biomed Pharmacother 2022 Feb 29;146:112603. Epub 2021 Dec 29.

Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, African Union Organization Street, 11566, Cairo, Egypt; Center of Drug Discovery Research and Development, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. Electronic address:

Radiation enteritis is the most common complication of radiotherapy in patients with pelvic malignancies. Thus, the radioprotective activity of the total hydro-alcoholic extract (BGE) and the ethyl acetate soluble fraction (EAF) of Brownea grandiceps leaves was evaluated against ϒ-radiation-induced enteritis in rats. (BGE) and (EAF) were characterized using HPLC-PDA-ESI-MS/MS analysis. Read More

J Radiat Res 2022 Mar;63(2):213-220

Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, China National Nuclear Corporation 416 Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610051, China.

Patients receiving pelvic or abdominal radiotherapy may experience acute and/or chronic side effects due to gastrointestinal changes. However, effective medicine for treating radiation enteritis has not been found yet. Sargentodoxa cuneata is a famous Chinese medicine used to treat intestinal inflammation, and our research team has found the main biologically active compound through its extraction, which is Liriodendrin. Read More

JCI Insight 2022 02 22;7(4). Epub 2022 Feb 22.

Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Total body irradiation (TBI) targets sensitive bone marrow hematopoietic cells and gut epithelial cells, causing their death and inducing a state of immunodeficiency combined with intestinal dysbiosis and nonproductive immune responses. We found enhanced Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1) colonization of the gut leading to host cell death and strikingly decreased survival of irradiated mice. The PAO1-driven pathogenic mechanism includes theft-ferroptosis realized via (a) curbing of the host antiferroptotic system, GSH/GPx4, and (b) employing bacterial 15-lipoxygenase to generate proferroptotic signal - 15-hydroperoxy-arachidonoyl-PE (15-HpETE-PE) - in the intestines of irradiated and PAO1-infected mice. Read More

Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2022 05 13;113(1):166-176. Epub 2022 Jan 13.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin 300060, China. Electronic address:

Purpose: Radiation enteritis (RE) is the most common complication of pelvic radiation therapy, but proven therapies are lacking. Barrier function defects are closely associated with numerous inflammatory disorders. In this study, we investigated whether barrier dysfunction contributes to RE and whether syndecan-1 (Sdc1) protects intestinal barrier function in RE. Read More

J Radiat Res 2022 Mar;63(2):149-157

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, 100850, P.R. China.

Intestinal stem cells (ISCs) are essential for the regeneration of intestinal cells upon radiation or chemical agent damage. As for radiation-induced damage, the expression of AIM2, YAP, TLR3, PUMA or BVES can aggravate ISCs depletion, while the stimulation of TLR5, HGF/MET signaling, Ass1 gene, Slit/Robo signaling facilitate the radio-resistance of ISCs. Upon chemical agent treatment, the activation of TRAIL or p53/PUMA pathway exacerbate injury on ISCs, while the increased levels of IL-22, β-arrestin1 can ease the damage. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2021 Dec 31;23(1). Epub 2021 Dec 31.

The Division of Clinical Cancer Epidemiology, Department of Oncology at the Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, 413 90 Gothenburg, Sweden.

Dietary fiber is considered a strong intestinal protector, but we do not know whether dietary fiber protects against the long-lasting mucosal damage caused by ionizing radiation. To evaluate whether a fiber-rich diet can ameliorate the long-lasting pathophysiological hallmarks of the irradiated mucosa, C57BL/6J mice on a fiber-rich bioprocessed oat bran diet or a fiber-free diet received 32 Gray in four fractions to the distal colorectum using a linear accelerator and continued on the diets for one, six or 18 weeks. We quantified degenerating crypts, crypt fission, cell proliferation, crypt survival, macrophage density and bacterial infiltration. Read More

Radiat Res 2022 04;197(4):350-364

Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.

Radiation-induced brain injury is a common complication of brain irradiation that eventually leads to irreversible cognitive impairment. Evidence has shown that the gut microbiome may play an important role in radiation-induced cognitive function. However, the effects of gut microbiota on radiation-induced brain injury (RIBI) remain poorly understood. Read More

J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2022 Jan 3;41(1). Epub 2022 Jan 3.

Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitor-related cardiotoxicity is one of the most lethal adverse effects, and thus, the identification of underlying mechanisms for developing strategies to overcome it has clinical importance. This study aimed to investigate whether microbiota-host interactions contribute to PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor-related cardiotoxicity.

Methods: A mouse model of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related cardiotoxicity was constructed by PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor BMS-1 (5 and 10 mg/kg), and cardiomyocyte apoptosis and cardiotoxicity were determined by hematoxylin and eosin, Masson's trichome and TUNEL assays. Read More

Clin Radiol 2022 03 31;77(3):e195-e200. Epub 2021 Dec 31.

Radiology Department, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Eccles Street, Dublin, Ireland; Radiation Oncology Department, Mater Private Hospital, Eccles Street, Dublin, Ireland.

The placement of a polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogel spacer is a recently developed technique employed to reduce the radiation dose administered to the rectum during prostate radiotherapy. This procedure has been adopted by urologists and radiation oncologists involved in transperineal prostate biopsy and brachytherapy, and more recently by radiologists with experience in transperineal prostate procedures. Radiologists should be familiar with the product, which may be encountered on computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Read More

Radiother Oncol 2022 02 28;167:143-148. Epub 2021 Dec 28.

Division of Radiation Health, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, USA. Electronic address:

Background And Purpose: Platelet membrane glycoprotein Ibα (GPIbα), the major ligand-binding subunit of the GPIb-IX-V complex, binds to a number of ligands contributing to hemostasis, thrombosis, and inflammation. Binding to von Willebrand factor (VWF) initiates the process of hemostasis/thrombosis, while binding to the leukocyte receptor Macrophage-1 antigen (Mac-1) has been implicated in modulating the inflammatory response. Thus as GPIbα resides at the nexus of thrombosis and inflammation, we investigated the impact of GPIbα on radiation injury outcomes as this injury triggers both the thrombotic and inflammatory pathways. Read More

Biomed Pharmacother 2022 Feb 24;146:112496. Epub 2021 Dec 24.

State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address:

Intestinal injury is one of the major side effects that are induced by medical radiation exposure, and has limited effective therapies. In this study, we investigated the beneficial effects of sanguinarine (SAN) on intestinal injury induced by ionizing radiation (IR) both in vitro and in vivo. Mice were exposed to whole abdominal irradiation (WAI) to mimic clinical scenarios. Read More

Biomed Pharmacother 2022 Feb 21;146:112350. Epub 2021 Dec 21.

Data Convergence Drug Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea; Graduate School of New Drug Discovery and Development, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

This study explored the radioprotective effects and possible underlying mechanisms of KR-31831 against radiation-induced injury in a mouse model. KR-31831 (30 and 50 mg/kg) was administered to mice 24 h and 30 min before exposure to a single lethal or sublethal dose of whole-body irradiation (WBI) (7 or 4 Gy, respectively). These animals were then evaluated for changes in mortality, various hematological and biochemical parameters, and histological features in response to these treatments. Read More