Radioprotective Effect of Pioglitazone against Genotoxicity Induced by Ionizing Radiation in Healthy Human Lymphocytes

Radioprotective Effect of Pioglitazone against Genotoxicity Induced by Ionizing Radiation in Healthy Human Lymphocytes
roya kazemi,^1,* Seyed Jalal Hosseinimehr,²
1. Faculty ofPharmacy, Ramsar Campus, Mazandaran University ofMedical Sciences, Ramsar,Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran;
2. Department of Radiopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University ofMedical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Introduction: Objective: Pioglitazone (PG) is used to control high blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. PG acts as a peroxisome proliferator - activated receptor γ agonist. In addition to the insulin-sensitizing effect, PG possesses anti-inflammatory effect. In this study, the protective effect of PG was evaluated against DNA damage induced by ionizing radiation in healthy human lymphocytes.
Methods: The microtubes containing human whole blood were treated with PG at various concentrations (1 -50 µM) for three hours. Then, the blood samples were irradiated with X-ray. Lymphocytes were cultured for determining the frequency of micronuclei as a genotoxicity biomarker in binucleated lymphocytes.
Results: The mean percentage of micronuclei was significantly increased in human lymphocytes when exposed to IR, while it was decreased in lymphocytes pre-treated with PG. The maximum reduction in the frequency of micronuclei in irradiated lymphocytes was observed at 5 µM of PG treatment (48% decrease).
Conclusion: The anti-inflammatory property suggested the mechanism action of PG for protecting human lymphocytes against genotoxicity induced by ionizing radiation.
Keywords: Anti-inflammatory, micronucleus test, pioglitazone, radiation biology, radioprotective.