Radioprotective and apoptotic properties of a combination of [alpha]-tocopherol acetate and ascorbic acid. (PHARMACOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY)

We studied radioprotective and apoptotic properties of a combination of [alpha] -tocopherol acetate and ascorbic acid. [alpha]-Tocopherol acetate (10 mg/kg body weight) or ascorbic acid (20 mg/kg) or combination of these agents in the same doses was orally administered to male rats at various terms before and after single whole-body exposure to [gamma]-irradiation in the doses of 2 and 8 Gy. Irradiation increased the frequency of chromosome aberrations in bone marrow cells and plasma level of low-molecular-weight DNA. Vitamin combination administered before or after irradiation significantly reduced the frequency of chromosome aberrations by 2-2.5 times. Administration of this combination 10 min before irradiation 1.5-fold increased the content of low-molecular-weight DNA in blood plasma in comparison with the control animals exposed to radiation. The combination of [alpha]-tocopherol acetate and ascorbic acid produced radioprotective effects and enhanced apoptosis in irradiated cells. Key Words: [alpha]-tocopherol acetate; ascorbic acid; radioprotective substances; low-molecular-weight DNA; apoptosis