Study on radiation protective effect of resveratrol and its molecular mechanism

Objective: To investigate radiation-protective effect of resveratrol and its molecular mechanism. Methods: Kunming mice were administered with resveratrol before 60Co γ-irradiation. Thirty-day survival rate and the average life span of dead mice post-irradiation were observed. The apoptosis of spleen from irradiated mice was detected by FACS and in situ terminal labeling method. The effect of resveratrol on the activities of Caspase-3 and Caspase-8, and the expression levels of Bcl-2 and Fas were examined. Results: Administration with resveratrol resulted in increases of 30-day survival rate and prolongation of average life span of the dead mice. Apoptotic rate of spleen cells decreased, expression level of bcl-2 increased, the expression of Fas did not change, and the activities of Caspase-3 and Caspase-8 increased in spleen cells of irradiation groups. Conclusion: The results indicate that resveratrol has radiation-protective effect and its mechanism might be related with its suppression of apoptosis of radiation-sensitive cells