Improvement of Hematopoietic and Immunologic Findings in Sublethal Gamma Irradiated Rats Treated with Bone Marrow Transplantation and Wheat Germ Oil

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the wheat germ oil (WGO) and bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in boosting the immuno response and protecting from oxidative stress in irradiated rats. BM was given by intravenous injection to male rats, one hour post gamma irradiation at the dose level of 5 Gy. Rats were orally administrated with 54 mg/Kg body wt of wheat germ oil daily for 2 weeks before irradiation. After 14 days, results revealed that total body irradiation induced significant decreases in RBCs, WBCs and lymphocytes, as well as Glutathione (GSH) and zinc superoxide dismutase (Zn/SOD), splenocyte count, bone marrow lymphocyte count and viability. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 2 (IL-2) also recorded significant decrease while interleukin 6 (IL-6) and lipid peroxidation marker malondialdehde (MDA) in serum and spleen were conversely elevated. In irradiated animals receiving BMT and WGO, values of MDA in serum and tissue were significantly depressed as compared with the irradiated group, while lymphocytes, bone marrow viability percentage, splenocytes percentage, IL-2, IL-6 and GSH were significantly elevated. The curative action of WGO enforcing significant innate response could trigger and augment adaptive immune response by BMT, thus protecting immune system from radiation induced damage as well as oxidative stress.