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Immunofluorescence to Monitor the Cellular Uptake of Human Lactoferrin and its Associated Antiviral Activity Against the Hepatitis C Virus
Published on: October 1, 2015
[Antiradiation effects of lactoferrin]
Radiatsionnaia Biologiia, Radioecologiia
|October 6, 2009
Summary
Lactoferrin (LF) demonstrates significant radioprotective effects, improving survival rates and stimulating red blood cell production in animals with bone marrow radiation sickness. It also mitigated symptoms of cerebral radiation sickness in rats.
Area of Science:
- Radiation Biology
- Pharmacology
- Biochemistry
Context:
- Acute Radiation Disease (ARD) poses a significant threat, impacting various organ systems.
- Developing effective radioprotective agents is crucial for mitigating radiation exposure consequences.
- Lactoferrin (LF), a naturally occurring glycoprotein, has shown potential therapeutic properties.
Purpose:
- To investigate the antiradiation effects of lactoferrin (LF) in animal models.
- To evaluate LF's efficacy against different forms of acute radiation disease (ARD).
Summary:
- Subcutaneous injection of LF in guinea pigs exposed to gamma radiation (2.5 Gy) significantly increased survival rates (53.8% to 92.8%) and stimulated erythropoiesis.
- LF administration enhanced reticulocyte counts and normalized neutrophil and lymphocyte levels in bone marrow ARD.
- LF did not protect against intestinal ARD in mice but delayed convulsions and prolonged survival in rats irradiated with high-energy electrons (25 MeV, 255 Gy), indicating cerebral protection and antioxidative activity.
Impact:
- Lactoferrin shows promise as a radioprotective agent, particularly against bone marrow and cerebral forms of ARD.
- LF's therapeutic potential warrants further investigation for clinical applications in radiation protection.
- The findings highlight LF's antioxidative properties contributing to its radioprotective mechanisms.
