Radioprotective role of vitamin E and testosterone against radiation effects on serum cholesterol and free fatty acids of irradiated rats

ABSTRACT

The present study has been carried out to evaluate the radioprotective efficiency of vitamin E and testosterone for protecting the levels of serum total cholesterol and free fatty acids from deleterious radiation effects. Whole body gamma irradiation of rats at the dose of 7 Gy induced significant increase in the level of serum total cholesterol. This increase was 35.9, 103.3, 46.3, 47.3 and 40.0% on the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 10th and 14th days post irradiation respectively, as compared to normal control values. As for free fatty acids content, a significant decrease was observed at the 3rd and 14th days post irradiation, while insignificant changes were recorded on the 1st, 7th and 10th days after irradiation. The treatment of rats with intraperitoneal injection of either vitamin E or testosterone pre-whole body gamma irradiation reduced the changes induced in the levels of studied parameters. The observed recovery was more clearly pronounced in the rats treated with vitamin E than in treated rats with testosterone