Therapeutic Effect of Ascorbic Acid on Reducing the Neuronal Damage Following Irradiation Focusing on Hippocampal CA1 Region of Mice

Abstract

Background & Objectives: Irradiation is common treatment in most cancers but the effect of radiation on healthy cells, could be prevented its use in high doses. Ascorbic acid is known as a potent antioxidant. In this study the role of vitamin c to reduce cell death and complications after radiotherapy was tested. Materials and Methods: In this study, 3 groups of race bulb-c mice (control, irradiation, treatment with ascorbic acid) were chosen. Two groups received 6 Gray of radiation. Medications was given intraperitoneally to them one week prior to radiotherapy and then after a week of radiotherapy, again they were given the drug again for a week and at the end of treatment, y-maze memory test and shuttle box test were done and then the brain of rats was fixed by paraformaldehyde perfusion and removed and was prepared for histological studies. Results: Nissl staining applied to counting necrotic cells of hippocampus. Tunnel kit was used to quantify apoptotic cell death while to short term memory scale, we applied maze and shuttle box tests. Memory tests were indicated to reduction of irradiation effects on short-term memory in treatment group. Nissl staining showed significant decrease in necrotic cells, Evaluation of cell apoptosis, also showed significant decrease in apoptotic cells in treatment group. Conclusion: Treatment the mice with ascorbic acid caused reduction of cell death and complications after radiotherapy.