Resveratrol ameliorates ionizing irradiation-induced long-term immunosuppression in mice

Abstract

Purpose: Ionizing radiation has been associated with adverse effects on the immune system. Currently, there are no effective treatment options to ameliorate these effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effects of resveratrol against radiation-induced long-term immunosuppression in mice.

Materials and methods: Mice were exposed to total body irradiation and treated with resveratrol or vehicle. Several immune parameters were measured, including thymus and spleen weights, T-lymphocyte and B-lymphocyte count in peripheral blood, concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide induced lymphocyte proliferation. To explore the mechanism, we investigated intracellular ROS level of lymphocytes and mice plasma cytokine levels.

Results: Treatment with resveratrol ameliorated TBI-induced atrophy of the thymus and spleen, reduction of lymphocyte count and decline of lymphocyte proliferation. TBI exhibited significantly reduced level of IL-2, IL-4, IL-7 and IFN-γ compared with the control mice and treatment with resveratrol attenuated the reduction.

Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that treatment with resveratrol could ameliorate irradiation induced long-term immune malfunction at least partly via modulation of plasma cytokine.

Keywords:

• Ionizing radiation
• lymphocyte
• immunosuppression
• resveratrol

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Notes on contributors

Heng Zhang is a Research Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology in the Department of Oncology, Institute of Integrative Oncology, Tianjin Union Medical Center. His research interests are in mechanisms of irradiation induced normal tissues injury.

Hao Yan is an Attending Doctor in the Department of Oncology, Institute of Integrative Oncology, Tianjin Union Medical Center. Her research interests are in mechanisms of radioresistance for biologically optimization in radiotherapy.

Jianzi Ying is a Physician Assistant in the Department of Oncology, Institute of Integrative Oncology, Tianjin Union Medical Center. She specializes in experimental animals' management.

Liqing Du is a Research Assistant Professor in the Institute of Radiation Medicine, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Her research interests are in irradiation induced immune system injury.

Chunze Zhang is a Physician Assistant in the Department of Colorectal Surgery, Tianjin Union Medical Center. He specializes in statistical analysis.

Yiling Yang is an Attending Doctor in the Department of Breast Cancer Pathology and Research Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital. She specializes in pathological analysis.

Huaqing Wang is a Professor in the Department of Oncology, Institute of Integrative Oncology, Tianjin Union Medical Center. He specializes in precision cancer medicine.

Hui Wang is a Professor of Radiation Oncology in the Department of Oncology, Institute of Integrative Oncology, Tianjin Union Medical Center. His research interests are in mechanisms of irradiation induced normal tissues injury and radioresistance for biologically optimization in radiotherapy.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China [81573089 and 81302294] and Tianjin Health Bureau Science Foundation Project [2015KZ061].