Radioprotective Properties of Cumaside, a Complex of Triterpene Glycosides from the Sea Cucumber Cucumaria Japonica and Cholesterol

• Published in: Natural product communications 2011-05, Vol.6 (5), p.587-592
• Main Authors: Aminin, Dmitry L., Zaporozhets, Tatiana S., Adryjashchenko, Pelageya V., Avilov, Sergey A., Kalinin, Vladimir I., Stonik, Valentin A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Cholesterol - analogs & derivatives; Cholesterol - chemical synthesis; Cholesterol - chemistry; Cholesterol - isolation & purification; Cholesterol - pharmacology; Cucumaria - chemistry; Female; Gamma Rays; Glycosides - chemical synthesis; Glycosides - isolation & purification; Glycosides - pharmacology; Hematopoiesis - drug effects; Mice; Pluripotent Stem Cells - drug effects; Radiation-Protective Agents - chemical synthesis; Radiation-Protective Agents - isolation & purification; Radiation-Protective Agents - pharmacology; Spleen - cytology; Spleen - drug effects; Triterpenes - chemical synthesis; Triterpenes - isolation & purification; Triterpenes - pharmacology
• ISSN: 1934-578X; 1555-9475
• DOI: 10.1177/1934578X1100600503

The radioprotective activity has been studied of a new immunomodulatory lead material, Cumaside, which is a complex of monosulfated triterpene glycosides from the edible sea cucumber Cucumaria japonica and cholesterol. Female CD-1 strain mice administered with prophylactic doses of Cumaside were irradiated using a Gamma-therapeutic device with a 60Co source (exposure dose 6.5 Gy, dose rate 1.14 Gy /min) and the average life span of the mice was determined. The animals administrated with Cumaside and irradiated were killed by pervisceral dislocation on days 4 and 9. Peripheral blood cell composition indexes, blood forming function and cell number in blood-forming organs and the number of pluripotent blood-forming stem cells were determined using standard procedures and the results compared with those of non-treated irradiated mice. The survivability percentage and average life span of the irradiated mice that were not treated with Cumaside were decreased in comparison with the Cumaside-treated groups. Especially, the leukocyte and neutrophil numbers in the blood (bone marrow from hip), and the weight and cell number of lymphoid organs were higher in the Cumaside-treated groups compared with the non-treated irradiated mice. It was concluded that at low prophylactic doses Cumaside possesses moderate radioprotective properties.