Plant material protects against radiation damage

International research team finds remedies for radiation sickness

15/10/2013

Broccoli as a miracle weapon? An international research team may have a remedy for the so-called „radiation sickness“ discovered. In experiments with rats and mice, the researchers had recognized that the highly effective substance contained in cabbage vegetables „Diindolylmethan“ DIM apparently is able to reduce the symptoms of radiation sickness.

Radiation sickness can quickly lead to death
Radiation can be a real danger, because as a result of a short-term irradiation with ionizing radiation such as X-rays or gamma radiation may be the so-called „radiation sickness“ occur. This makes the disease relatively rare - for example as a result of radiation accidents or nuclear explosions - but can quickly come to a bad end. Because the course of radiation sickness depends primarily on the received radiation dose. Accordingly, at lower doses, for example, only headache, nausea, or loss of appetite may occur, but a higher dose may also mean, for example, whole body hair loss, severe diarrhea, uncontrolled bleeding, or even death within a very short time.

Indole-3-carbinol effective against cancer?
However, an international research team has apparently succeeded in identifying an antidote, which should significantly alleviate the symptoms of radiation sickness. The substance is the so-called „Diindolylmethan“ (DIM), which results from the digestion of a constituent of cabbage vegetables - such as broccoli. According to the team led by Saijun Fan from the Georgtown University Medical Center, it can be assumed that this so-called „Indole-3-carbinol“ As well as the Diindolylmethan be effective against cancer - but the amounts absorbed by the food would not be sufficient to ward off negative radiation effects.

Highest survival rate in rats with highest DIM dose
As the researchers write in the journal "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" should be included in the study „the potential use of DIM as a medical countermeasure to prevent or mitigate acute radiation sickness“ to be examined. For this, rats were irradiated with a fatal dose of 13 Gray gamma radiation and then given a diindolylmethane syringe every day for fourteen days, with different doses of the substance given to the animals. The result: After 10 days, more than half of the animals that had received the highest DIM dose lived - the animals that had not received any DIM in the control group, however, were all dead, as the researchers in the journal "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ".

Clinical trials necessary to confirm the results
The positive effect of the DIM was confirmed in another attempt. In this, the rats were given the substance for the first time already 24 hours before the irradiation - with the result that here already a small amount was sufficient to protect against the radiation. Accordingly, according to the scientists, it could therefore be assumed that diindolylmethane could also be used successfully in people who have become victims of an increased radiation dose. In addition, it can be assumed that „DIM may also be useful in preventing or later mitigating the normal tissue damage caused by radiation exposure to certain body parts during cancer treatment“, the researchers continue. But before DIM could actually be used in the treatment of cancer patients, the researchers would have to confirm the results only in clinical trials. (No)

Picture: tokamuwi