Effects of glycine betaine on bone marrow death and intestinal damage by ionizing radiation

Abstract

We previously reported that glycine betaine reduced the chromosome aberrations caused by either γ-rays or carbon ions. In this study, we investigated the effects of glycine betaine on bone marrow death and intestinal damage by γ-rays or carbon ions. C3H/He female mice, aged 14 weeks, received an i.p. injection of glycine betaine at 15 min before whole-body irradiation with γ-rays or 50 keV/µm carbon ions. The irradiated mice were observed to determine the mortality for 30 days after exposure. Also, the mice were killed at 3.5 days after the exposure to determine the intestinal damage. The jejunum was fixed in formalin and then stained with H&E. The number of crypts per transverse circumference were counted using a microscope. For the bone marrow death, glycine betaine significantly (p < 0.05) increased the percent survival for both radiations. For the intestinal damage, glycine betaine significantly (p < 0.05) increased the crypt survival for γ- rays, but not for carbon ions.