Radioprotective effects of Angelica sinensis protein on mice

Protein named AP with the molecular weight of 18.33 kDa was purified from prepared slices of Angelica sinensis using 80% ammonium sulfate precipitation and Sephadex G-50 gel filtration chromatography. A mouse model of acute radiation injury was then established via whole-body irradiation with X-rays at a dose of 6 Gy. The radioprotective effects of Angelica sinensis protein AP were evaluated using amifostine as a control by measuring body weight, peripheral blood leukocyte count, thymus index, spleen index, colony forming unit-spleen (CFU-S), morphology and histopathology of the spleen, and splenic antioxidant enzyme activity in the irradiated mice. The results showed that AP significantly increased the number of peripheral blood leukocytes, thymus index, spleen index, CFU-S, and catalase activity in irradiated mice by 135%, 103%, 23%, 219%, and 180%, respectively, and kept the number of splenic white pulp, resulting in a significant 94% reduction in weight loss. These results indicate that the Angelica sinensis protein AP has radioprotective effects on mice. (authors)