Background. Radiation-induced xerostomia is a frequent and usually permanent side effect of radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. We summarize recent developments in the prevention and treatment of radiation-induced xerostomia. Methods. The Medline database was searched for articles published within the past 10 years on the prevention and treatment of postirradiation xerostomia. Proceedin...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vivo radioprotective effects of recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) in lethally irradiated BALB/c mice. We initially analyzed the effects of increasing doses of rhG-CSF on survival of mice receiving 700 cGy (LD100/30) single dose total body irradiation (TBI). While 1 microgram/kg to 100 micrograms/kg doses of rhG-...

Using rat liver mitochondria as model systems, we examined the radioprotective and antioxidant effects of the Indian medicinal plant Terminalia arjuna. Various sohxlet fractions of the bark and the medicinal formulation arjunsal besides an active ingredient, baicalein, were examined for their ability to protect both rat liver mitochondria and cardiac homogenate against radiation and oxidative s...

Diselenonicotinamide (DSNA), a synthetic organoselenium compound, was evaluated for its radioprotective effect in cellular models. A clonogenic assay in Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells and an apoptosis assay in murine splenic lymphocytes indicated that pre-treatment with DSNA at a concentration of 25 μM significantly protected them from radiation-induced cell death. Upon irradiation (1-12 Gy)...

Ionising radiation (IR) is responsible for various types of tissue injury leading to morbidity at low doses and mortality at high radiation exposure. Although many radioprotective and pharmacological agents are being tested for decreasing radiation injury, however, the availability of Amifostine as the only clinically used radioprotector with limited indication has prompted us to find out new p...

he purpose of this study was to evaluate the radioprotective effect of carnosine (βalanyl-1-histidine) on the wound healing in rats. Therefore, 48 male rats were submitted to a surgical procedure to perform a rectangular wound in the anteriordorsal region. The animals were divided into 4 experimental groups randomly chosen: control; irradiated; carnosine irradiated and carnosine group. The irra...

Radioprotective agents like selenium are used to reduce the damage caused by radiation in healthy tissues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of sodium selenite on the development of the molars of offspring of rats irradiated during odontogenesis. Twenty pregnant rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control, irradiated, selenium and selenium/irradiated. The selenium and selen...

Gamma radiation induces the generation of free radicals, leading to serious cellular damages in biological systems. Radioprotectors act as prophylactic agents that are administered to shield normal cells and tissues from the deleterious effects of radiation. Melatonin synergistically acts as an immune-stimulator and antioxidant. We investigated the possible radioprotective role of melatonin (10...

Various chemical agents were examined for their radioprotective capability to provide partial protection against radiation injury over the past 50 years. However, no suitable drug has yet been introduced for routine clinical use. In the present study, the radioprotective potential of H2 receptor antagonists was examined in in vivo and in vitro conditions. For this purpose, an in vivo micronucle...