Histopathological and Functional Evaluation of Radiation-Induced Sciatic Nerve Damage: Melatonin as Radioprotector
<i>Background and Objectives:</i> Radiotherapy uses ionizing radiation for cancer treatment. One of the side effects of radiotherapy is peripheral neuropathy. After irradiation, the first stage of neuropathy involves electrophysiological, biochemical and histopathological variations, whi...
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MDPI AG
2019-08-01
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| Series: | Medicina |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1010-660X/55/8/502 |
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| author | Dheyauldeen Shabeeb Ahmed Eleojo Musa Mansoor Keshavarz Farid Esmaely Gholamreza Hassanzadeh Alireza Shirazi Masoud Najafi |
| author_facet | Dheyauldeen Shabeeb Ahmed Eleojo Musa Mansoor Keshavarz Farid Esmaely Gholamreza Hassanzadeh Alireza Shirazi Masoud Najafi |
| author_sort | Dheyauldeen Shabeeb |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Background and Objectives:</i> Radiotherapy uses ionizing radiation for cancer treatment. One of the side effects of radiotherapy is peripheral neuropathy. After irradiation, the first stage of neuropathy involves electrophysiological, biochemical and histopathological variations, while the fibrosis of soft tissues surrounding the exposed nerve occurs in the second stage. The present study aimed to examine the radioprotective effects of melatonin against ionizing radiation-induced sciatic nerve damage. <i>Materials and Methods:</i> Sixty male Wistar rats were assigned to four groups: C (Control + Vehicle), M (Melatonin), R (Radiation + Vehicle), MR (Radiation + Melatonin). Their right legs were irradiated with a 30 Gy single dose of gamma rays. Then, 100 mg/kg melatonin was administered to the animals 30 min before irradiation once daily (5 mg/kg) until the day of rats’ sacrifice. Their exposed nerve tissues were assessed using the sciatic functional index (SFI) and histological evaluation. <i>Results:</i> Four, 12 and 20 weeks post irradiation, the SFI results showed that irradiation led to partial loss of motor nerve function after 12 and 20 weeks. Histological evaluation showed the various stages of axonal degeneration and demyelination compared to the C and M groups. Scar-like tissues were detected around the irradiated nerves in the R group at 20 weeks, but were absent in the MR group. The SFI and histological results of the R group showed partial nerve lesion. However, in all cases, treatment with melatonin prevented these effects. <i>Conclusions:</i> Results showed that melatonin has the potential to improve functional and morphological features of exposed sciatic nerves. This could possibly improve the therapeutic window of radiotherapy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T08:32:30Z |
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| publishDate | 2019-08-01 |
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| series | Medicina |
| spelling | doaj.art-1677c85fd7f046419c45db66c2b603b42023-09-02T17:29:53ZengMDPI AGMedicina1010-660X2019-08-0155850210.3390/medicina55080502medicina55080502Histopathological and Functional Evaluation of Radiation-Induced Sciatic Nerve Damage: Melatonin as RadioprotectorDheyauldeen Shabeeb0Ahmed Eleojo Musa1Mansoor Keshavarz2Farid Esmaely3Gholamreza Hassanzadeh4Alireza Shirazi5Masoud Najafi6Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1416753955, IranDepartment of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1416753955, IranDepartment of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1416753955, IranDepartment of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1416753955, IranDepartment of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1416753955, IranDepartment of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1416753955, IranRadiology and Nuclear Medicine Department, School of Paramedical Sciences, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah 6715847141, Iran<i>Background and Objectives:</i> Radiotherapy uses ionizing radiation for cancer treatment. One of the side effects of radiotherapy is peripheral neuropathy. After irradiation, the first stage of neuropathy involves electrophysiological, biochemical and histopathological variations, while the fibrosis of soft tissues surrounding the exposed nerve occurs in the second stage. The present study aimed to examine the radioprotective effects of melatonin against ionizing radiation-induced sciatic nerve damage. <i>Materials and Methods:</i> Sixty male Wistar rats were assigned to four groups: C (Control + Vehicle), M (Melatonin), R (Radiation + Vehicle), MR (Radiation + Melatonin). Their right legs were irradiated with a 30 Gy single dose of gamma rays. Then, 100 mg/kg melatonin was administered to the animals 30 min before irradiation once daily (5 mg/kg) until the day of rats’ sacrifice. Their exposed nerve tissues were assessed using the sciatic functional index (SFI) and histological evaluation. <i>Results:</i> Four, 12 and 20 weeks post irradiation, the SFI results showed that irradiation led to partial loss of motor nerve function after 12 and 20 weeks. Histological evaluation showed the various stages of axonal degeneration and demyelination compared to the C and M groups. Scar-like tissues were detected around the irradiated nerves in the R group at 20 weeks, but were absent in the MR group. The SFI and histological results of the R group showed partial nerve lesion. However, in all cases, treatment with melatonin prevented these effects. <i>Conclusions:</i> Results showed that melatonin has the potential to improve functional and morphological features of exposed sciatic nerves. This could possibly improve the therapeutic window of radiotherapy.https://www.mdpi.com/1010-660X/55/8/502radiationmelatoninneuropathyperipheral nervesciatic nerveradiotherapy |
| spellingShingle | Dheyauldeen Shabeeb Ahmed Eleojo Musa Mansoor Keshavarz Farid Esmaely Gholamreza Hassanzadeh Alireza Shirazi Masoud Najafi Histopathological and Functional Evaluation of Radiation-Induced Sciatic Nerve Damage: Melatonin as Radioprotector Medicina radiation melatonin neuropathy peripheral nerve sciatic nerve radiotherapy |
| title | Histopathological and Functional Evaluation of Radiation-Induced Sciatic Nerve Damage: Melatonin as Radioprotector |
| title_full | Histopathological and Functional Evaluation of Radiation-Induced Sciatic Nerve Damage: Melatonin as Radioprotector |
| title_fullStr | Histopathological and Functional Evaluation of Radiation-Induced Sciatic Nerve Damage: Melatonin as Radioprotector |
| title_full_unstemmed | Histopathological and Functional Evaluation of Radiation-Induced Sciatic Nerve Damage: Melatonin as Radioprotector |
| title_short | Histopathological and Functional Evaluation of Radiation-Induced Sciatic Nerve Damage: Melatonin as Radioprotector |
| title_sort | histopathological and functional evaluation of radiation induced sciatic nerve damage melatonin as radioprotector |
| topic | radiation melatonin neuropathy peripheral nerve sciatic nerve radiotherapy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1010-660X/55/8/502 |
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