Attenuating effects of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) in radiation induced intestinal injury in mice

Food Chem Toxicol. 2012 Sep;50(9):3174-80. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2012.05.059. Epub 2012 Jun 12.

Abstract

Gastrointestinal injury is a major cause of death following exposure to high levels of radiation, and no effective treatments are currently available. In this study, we examined the capacity of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) to mitigate intestinal injury in, and improve survival of, C3H/HeN mice given a lethal dose (12 Gy) of radiation to the abdomen. G-CSF (100 μg/kg body weight) was injected subcutaneously daily for 3 days after irradiation and shown to improve survival and intestinal morphology at 3.5 days compared with saline-injected controls. The morphological features improved by G-CSF included crypt number and depth, villous length, and the length of basal lamina of 10 enterocytes. G-CSF also normalized the levels of circulating tumor necrosis factor alpha and attenuated the loss of peripheral neutrophils, caused by radiation-induced myelosuppression. In conclusion, our results suggest that G-CSF enhanced the survival of irradiated mice and minimized the effects of radiation on gastrointestinal injury.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cytokines / blood
  • Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / administration & dosage
  • Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / pharmacology*
  • Injections, Subcutaneous
  • Jejunum / drug effects
  • Jejunum / radiation effects*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C3H
  • Radiation Injuries, Experimental / prevention & control*
  • Survival Rate

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor