Redlich CA, Rockwell S, Chung JS, Sikora AG, Kelley M, Mayne ST. Vitamin A inhibits radiation-induced pneumonitis in rats.
J Nutr 1998;
128:1661-4. [PMID:
9772133 DOI:
10.1093/jn/128.10.1661]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Radiation-induced lung injury frequently limits the total dose of thoracic radiotherapy that can be delivered, and the determinants of host susceptibility are poorly understood. To test the hypothesis that vitamin A status may be an important, modifiable host determinant of radiation-induced lung injury, we determined the effect of altered vitamin A status on radiation-induced lung inflammation in rats. WAG-Rij Y rats were fed a diet deficient in or supplemented with vitamin A (0 units/kg or 80,000 units/kg diet). After 5 wk of consuming the prescribed diet, rats were irradiated with 15 Gy of 250 kV X-rays to the whole thorax. At 4-5 wk post-irradiation, there were significantly fewer neutrophils on bronchoalveolar lavage in rats fed the vitamin A-supplemented diet (8.8 +/- 1.2% neutrophils) compared with those fed the vitamin A-deficient diet (20.8 +/- 3.4% neutrophils, P < 0.01). At the termination of the experiment, 4-5 wk postradiation, lung retinol levels of the vitamin A-supplemented group were 19.6 +/- 1.8 nmol/g, whereas those in the vitamin A-deficient group were significantly lower, 1.7 +/- 0.5 nmol/g (P < 0.01). These findings suggest that supplemental vitamin A may reduce lung inflammation after thoracic radiation and be an important modifiable radioprotective agent in the lung.
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