Radioprotecting effect of propylgalate and butylated hydroxyanisol

It has been reported that a great part of the deleterious effect caused by ionizing radiations is due to oxidative phenomena. The purpose of this work was to investigate if some antioxidants commonly used in the food industry might have a radioprotecting effect. N propyl-galate (NPG), hydroxyanisol-butylated (HAB) and hydroxytoluene-butylated (HTB) were utilized. Forty BALB/C mice that received 600 rads of gamma irradiation from a 60Co emitter died 17.12 +/- 7.82 days after. Thirteen mice that were injected 5 mg of NPG 24 hours and 30 minutes before radiation survived for more than 90 days. This same effect was observed in 13 mice that were also injected with 10 mg NPC and in other 13 that received 10 mg of HAB in the same way. Doses of 5 mg HAB or 5 and 10 mg HTB did not have a radioprotecting effect. When the radiation dose was increased to 800 rads, the radioprotecting effect was absent with any of the NPG, HAB or HTB doses. In protected mice, preservation of higher numbers of hematopoietic cells were observed in the bone marrow together with slight reduction of chromosomal fractures. There results show that antioxidants used in the food industry have a radioprotecting effect that had not been investigated.