Radioprotective activities of beer administration for radiation-induced acute toxicity in mice

• Published in: Radiotherapy and oncology 2004-12, Vol.73, p.S127-S129
• Main Authors: Monobe, Manami, Koike, Sachiko, Uzawa, Akiko, Aoki, Mizuho, Takai, Nobuhiko, Fukawa, Takeshi, Furusawa, Yoshiya, Ando, Koich
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Beer; Carbon; Crypt survival; Female; Gamma Rays; Heavy Ions - adverse effects; LD 50/30; Lethal Dose 50; Mice; Mice, Inbred C3H; Mice, Inbred ICR; Radiation-Protective Agents - pharmacology; Radioprotection
• ISSN: 0167-8140; 1879-0887
• DOI: 10.1016/S0167-8140(04)80033-1

Background and purpose: We previously found that drinking beer reduces chromosome aberrations in blood lymphocytes that were collected and irradiated in vitro. In this study, we investigated the radioprotective activities of beer-administration for bone marrow and intestine in mice. Methods: C3H/He female mice received an oral administration of beer, ethanol or saline at a dose of 1 ml/mouse 30 min before whole body irradiation with 137Cs γ rays or LET 50 keV/μm carbon ions. Radioprotective activities were estimated using a LD 50/30 (The dose required to kill 50% of the mice within 30 days) and a microcolony technique for intestine. Results: The LD 50/30 for the beer-administered mice was significantly increased in comparison with saline administered mice. The LD 50/30 of γ-ray was 7.8 Gy ( p < 0.05), 7.6 Gy and 7.3 Gy for beer-, ethanol- and saline-administered group, respectively. The LD 50/30 of carbon ions was 6.6 Gy ( p < 0.05), 6.2 Gy and 5.9 Gy for the beer-, ethanol- and saline-administered groups, respectively. The crypt survivals that were semi-logarithmically plotted against dose were well fitted to a linear regression line. The dose reduction factor (DRF) (D 10) of beer- and ethanol-administered mice for γ rays was 1.09 and 1.08, respectively. The DRF (D 10) of beer- and ethanol-administered mice for carbon ions was 1.08 and 1.07, respectively. Conclusions: The radioprotection by beer-administration is due to not only OH radical-scavenge action by the ethanol contained in beer.