Peyman Amini
1, Saeed Rezapoor
1, Dheyauldeen Shabeeb
2,3, Ahmed Eleojo Musa
4, Masoud Najafi
5*, Elahe Motevaseli
6*1 Department of Radiology, Faculty of Paramedical, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
2 Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (International Campus), Tehran, Iran.
3 Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Misan, Misan, Iraq.
4 Research Center for Molecular and Cellular Imaging, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (International Campus), Tehran, Iran.
5 Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Department, School of Paramedical Sciences, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
6 Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Background: Epidemiological studies have shown an increased
incidence of heart diseases among survivors of Chernobyl disaster as well as
Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb explosion. Similar results were observed for
lung and left breast cancer patients. Experimental studies have proposed the
chronic upregulation of some pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic cytokines.
Recent studies have shown that upregulation of pro-oxidant enzymes play a key
role in the development of late effects of ionizing radiation such as fibrosis.
Interleukin-4 (IL-4) and Interleukin-13 (IL-13) are two important cytokines
that have shown ability to induce production of free radicals through dual
oxidases (Duox) i.e. Duox1 and Duox2. In this study, we aimed to detect the
expression of IL-4 receptor-a1 (IL-4Ra1), IL-13 receptor-a2 (IL-13Ra2), Duox1
and Duox2 genes following irradiation of rat’s heart. In addition, we evaluated
the possible role of the combination of curcumin and selenium-L-methionine on
the regulation of these genes.
Methods: Twenty rats were divided into 4 groups as follows;
G1: control; G2: treatment with the combination of curcumin and
selenium-L-methionine; G3: radiation; G4: radiation plus treatment with the
combination of curcumin and selenium-L-methionine. Rats were sacrificed 10
weeks after irradiation for detecting the expression of IL-4Ra1, IL-13Ra2,
Duox1 and Duox2.
Results: Results showed that exposure to ionizing radiation
caused upregulation of IL-4Ra1 by more than 4-fold as well as Duox1 and Duox2
by more than 5-fold. However, results showed no detectable expression for IL-13Ra2.
Treatment with the combination of curcumin and selenium-L-methionine could
attenuate the upregulation of all genes.
Conclusion: This study has shown that exposing rat’s heart
tissues to radiation leads to chronic upregulation of IL-4Ra1, Duox1 and Duox2
as well as pro-oxidant enzymes. Treatment with the combination of curcumin and
selenium-L-methionine showed ability to attenuate the upregulation of these
genes.