Protective effect of hydroferrate fluid, MRN-100, against lethality and hematopoietic tissue damage in γ-radiated Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

Anti-radiation effect of MRN-100: a hydro-ferrate fluid, in vivo

Ionizing radiation (IR) severely harms many organs, especially the hematopoietic tissue, mandating the development of protective nutraceuticals. MRN-100, a hydro-ferrate fluid, has been shown to protect γ-radiated fish against hematopoietic tissue damage and lethality. The current study aimed to examine MRN-100's protective effect against irradiated mice and explore the mechanisms underlying its effect. Mice received a single acute, sub-lethal, 5 Gy, whole body dose of X-ray IR. MRN-100 treatment was administered daily for 2-weeks pre-irradiation until 1-week post-irradiation. Spleen and blood were analysed for oxidative stress, hematological, histological and biochemical parameters. Radiation exposure markedly decreased complete blood count (CBC) parameters including hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cells, platelets, white blood cells and lymphocytes, and significantly increased neutrophils. In contrast, MRN-100 supplementation to irradiated mice ameliorated all CBC parameters and protected against DNA damage in both splenic cells and serum. It also had an antioxidant effect, increasing the levels of glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase and total antioxidant capacity, which were otherwise decreased by irradiation. MRN-100 intake reduced the oxidative stress biomarker levels of nitric oxide, protein carbonyl, malondialdehyde, reactive oxygen species and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, a marker specific to DNA damage. Furthermore, MRN-100 enhanced serum iron and reversed the radiation-induced elevations of liver enzymes. Finally, MRN-100 protected splenic tissue from irradiation as observed by histology. We conclude that MRN-100 consumption may protect against oxidative stress generated by radiation exposure, suggesting that it may be employed as an adjuvant treatment to prevent radiation's severe damage to important organs.

Mitigating effect of biotin against irradiation-induced cerebral cortical and hippocampal damage in the rat brain tissue

Radiation-induced brain injury is common and mainly occurs in patients receiving radiotherapy for malignant head and neck tumors. The brain is oversensitive to oxidant injury induced by radiation. Biotin is a member of the vitamin B complex family and its deficiency has been associated with neurogenesis impairment in animals and humans. The present study was undertaken to investigate the mitigating effect of biotin on the cerebral cortical and hippocampal damage induced by radiation exposure. Animals were exposed to radiation in the presence or absence of biotin and sacrificed on day 10. The results demonstrated that the administration of biotin 2 mg to irradiated rats had no significant effect on the radiation-induced damage of the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus, while the administration of biotin 6 mg has significantly attenuated oxidative stress in the hippocampus, manifested by a reduction of 4-hydroxynonenal (4HNE), total nitrate/nitrite (NOx), and xanthine oxidase (XO) levels associated with an elevation of glutathione (GSH) content as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities. In addition, biotin decreased the pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrotic factor alpha (TNF-α)), caspase-3, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) level, and PARP1 gene expression. Moreover, biotin 6 mg treatment diminished serum S100 protein (S100B) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels. In conclusion, biotin treatment at high dose post-irradiation has efficiently neutralized the effect of free radicals in the hippocampal region of rats. Thus, it could be applicable as a radio-mitigator for reducing or delayed radiation-induced brain injury in patients post-radiotherapy.

Potential role of MRN-100, an iron-based compound, in upregulating production of cytokine IL-10 in human dendritic cells to promote an anti-inflammatory response in vitro

The hydroferrate fluid MRN-100, an iron-based compound with potent antioxidant characteristics, was examined to identify its possible anti-inflammatory effects on human dendritic cells (DCs) in vitro. Human monocyte-derived DCs were treated with MRN-100 at two concentrations (50 and 100 μL/mL) for 24 h and then stimulated with or without lipopolysaccharides (LPS). The expression of DC maturation markers was assessed by flow cytometry and the production of cytokines was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Functional assay was performed by co-culturing MRN-100-treated and untreated DCs with allogeneic naïve CD4+ T cells and assaying the T cells' cytokine production. Results show that treatment with MRN-100 significantly upregulated the co-stimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86 and increased human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) though not significantly. MRN-100 treatment also significantly increased the production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-10. On the other hand, MRN-100 significantly induced the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 only at high concentrations. Furthermore, DCs pretreated with MRN-100 and either stimulated or not with LPS were able to prime CD4+ T cells to secrete significant amounts of IL-10 while inhibiting the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. These results indicate that MRN-100 is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent that promotes the generation of an anti-inflammatory immune response in vitro. MRN-100 could be beneficial for treating patients with inflammatory diseases, including arthritis and type 1 diabetes, and its potential benefits should be examined in clinical trials.

Hydroferrate fluid, MRN-100, provides protection against chemical-induced gastric and esophageal cancer in Wistar rats

In the current study, we examined the protective effect of hydroferrate fluid MRN-100 against the carcinogen methylnitronitrosoguanidine (MNNG)-induced gastric and esophageal cancer in rats. MRN-100 is an iron-based compound composed of bivalent and trivalent ferrates. At 33 weeks post treatment with MNNG, rats were killed and examined for the histopathology of esophagus and stomach; liver, spleen, and total body weight; and antioxidant levels in the blood and stomach tissues. Results showed that 17/20 (85%) gastroesophageal tissues from carcinogen MNNG-treated rats developed dysplasia and cancer, as compared to 8/20 (40%) rats treated with MNNG plus MRN-100. In addition, MRN-100 exerted an antioxidant effect in both the blood and stomach tissues by increasing levels of GSH, antioxidant enzymes SOD, CAT, and GPx, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) level. This was accompanied by a reduction in the total free-radical and malondialdehyde levels. Furthermore, MRN-100 protected against body and organ weight loss. Thus, MRN-100 exhibited significant cancer chemopreventive activity by protecting tissues against oxidative damage in rats, which may suggest its effectiveness as an adjuvant for the treatment of gastric/esophageal carcinoma.