J Vet Sci.  2008 Sep;9(3):281-284. 10.4142/jvs.2008.9.3.281.

The radioprotective effects of the hexane and ethyl acetate extracts of Callophyllis japonica in mice that undergo whole body irradiation

• Kim J
• Moon C
• Kim H
• Jeong J
• Lee J
• Kim J
• Hyun JW
• Park JW
• Moon MY
• Lee NH
• Kim SH
• Jee Y
• Shin T

• KMID: 1718581
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4142/jvs.2008.9.3.281

Abstract

The radioprotective activity of extracts from the red seaweed Callophyllis (C.) japonica was investigated in mice that underwent whole-body exposure to gamma radiation. A methanol extract of C. japonica and its fractions [hexane, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), butanol and the remaining H(2)O] were used. Each fraction (100 mg/kg body weight) was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) 2 times into the BALB/c mice, once at 1 and once at 24 h before exposure to 9 Gray (Gy) of gamma radiation. Pre-irradiation administration of the hexane and EtOAc fractions saved the mice, with their survival rates being greater than 80% at 30 days post-irradiation; the mice that were pretreated with the other fractions showed survival rates lower than 20% over the same time period. To examine the effect of each C. japonica fraction on the survival of intestinal and bone marrow stem cells, the number of intestinal crypts and bone marrow cells in the gamma-irradiated mice were examined. Pre-treatment of mice (i.p., 100 mg/kg body weight at 1 and 24 h before irradiation) with the hexane or EtOAc fraction prior to 6-Gy irradiation significantly protected the number of jejunal crypts and bone marrow cells at 9 days after irradiation. These findings suggest that certain extracts from C. japonica, when they are administered prior to irradiation, play an important role in the survival of irradiated mice, and this is possibly due to the extracts protecting the hematopoietic cells and intestinal stem cells against gamma irradiation.

Keyword

bone marrow cells; Callophyllis japonica; mice; radioprotection

MeSH Terms

Acetates
Animals
Bone Marrow Cells/drug effects/*radiation effects
Cell Survival/drug effects
Female
Gamma Rays
Hexanes
Intestinal Mucosa/cytology/drug effects/radiation effects
Jejunum/cytology/drug effects/radiation effects
Mice
Mice, Inbred BALB C
Plant Extracts/*pharmacology
Radiation Injuries, Experimental/prevention & control
Radiation-Protective Agents/*pharmacology
*Seaweed
Whole-Body Irradiation/*veterinary

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Flow diagram of the fractionation of a crude extract from Callophyllis japonica.

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  Fig. 2 The effect of each extract of Callophyllis japonica (CJ) on the survival of mice exposed to irradiation (9 Gy). Each extract was administered intraperitoneally twice, once at 24 and once at 1 h before irradiation (IR). The data is expressed as percentage of surviving mice.

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  Fig. 3 The effect of each extract of Callophyllis japonica (CJ) on the bone marrow cellularity in the radiation-treated mice. Pre-treatment with the hexane and EtOAc extracts increased the bone marrow cellularity as compared with that in the irradiation (IR)-only group. Each C. japonica extract was administered intraperitoneally twice, once at 24 and once 1 h before irradiation. Hematopoietic stem cell assays were performed 9 days after gamma-irradiation of 6 Gy. The data is expressed as the mean ± SE. *p < 0.05 compared with the normal controls; #p < 0.05 compared with the irradiation-only group.

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  Fig. 4 The effect of each extract of Callophyllis japonica (CJ) on intestinal crypt survival in the radiation-treated mice. Pre-treatment with the hexane and EtOAc extracts increased the number of jejunal crypts as compared with the number of jejunal crypts in the irradiation (IR)-only group. Each C. japonica extract was administered intraperitoneally twice, once at 24 and once 1 h before irradiation. The jejunal crypt assays were performed 9 days after 6-Gy irradiation. The data is expressed as the mean ± SE. *p < 0.05 compared with the normal controls; #p < 0.05 compared with the irradiation-only group.

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