engleski

Radioprotective effect assessment of arbutin in human leukocytes

Ionising irradiation (IR) causes genotoxic effects in human cells by different mechanisms of action. It is documented that certain plant derivatives can offer protection for cells exposed to IR. Arbutin is a simple phenolic glucoside biosynthesised in various plant species and shows a range of beneficial properties in animal cells and tissues. The aim of this study was to assess the possible radioprotective effect of arbutin in human leukocytes exposed to a therapeutic dose of IR. Four different concentrations of arbutin (11.4 μg/mL, 57 μg/mL, 200 μg/mL, and 400 μg/mL) were applied to whole blood samples obtained from three consenting donors as a one-hour pretreatment before exposure to 2 Gy ɣ- irradiation and as treatment of blood samples without exposure to IR. Amifostine (250 μg/mL), a commonly applied radioprotector, was used in the same manner to compare the efficacy of radioprotection. Genotoxic and radioprotective effects were assessed by alkaline comet assay. Arbutin did not exhibit significant genotoxic effects toward human leukocytes. However, it caused more DNA damage than amifostine. When used as pretreatment to IR exposure, most of the arbutin concentrations lowered the values of all comet descriptors. Considering that the lowest tested concentration (11.4 mg/mL) efficiently lowered DNA damage in these experimental settings, we believe that further research should be conducted using even lower doses in order to clarify the mechanisms of arbutin and IR interaction.

amifostine ; comet assay ; genotoxicity ; ionising irradiation ; radioprotector

nije evidentirano