Impact of beta-D-glucan on survival and hematopoietic parameters of mice after exposure to X-rays

BACKGROUND: There is a high need for drugs to reduce the side effects of radiation exposure on people in extreme, military, marine, space medicine, at nuclear facilities, in hematology and oncology. AIM: To evaluate the antiradiation efficacy of beta-D-glucan derived from Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) after total body irradiation of mice in terms of survival and hematopoiesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted on a mouse model of the acute radiation hematopoietic syndrome caused by exposure to X-rays. Radioprotective effect of intragastrically administered beta-D-glucan derived from Pleurotus ostreatus at a dose of 500 mg/kg was studied. The parameters of the 30-day survival of irradiated mice were analyzed using the KaplanMeyer method. Dose reduction factor of X-ray radiation was calculated to evaluate the radiomodifying effect. The hematopoiesis was assessed by the endogenous colony formation test and hematological parameters in irradiated mice. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistica 8.0 software. RESULTS: The antiradiation efficacy of orally administered beta-D-glucan has been shown. DRF was 1.16 when the drug was administered 0.5 hours before irradiation and 1.06 during therapeutic use (after 1 or 2 hours). There was a decrease in weight loss in lethally irradiated mice and its faster recovery. Single oral administration of beta-D-glucan at a dose of 500 mg/kg stimulated the growth of splenic endogenous colony-forming units in mice on day 9 after total body irradiation at doses of 7 and 7.8 Gy, contributed to a decrease in the severity of leukopenia and thrombocytopenia. The antiradiation effect of beta-D-glucan was associated with an increase in the viability of bone marrow stem cells and a faster restoration of hematopoiesis. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained indicate the possibility of using beta-D-glucan from P. ostreatus both before irradiation to increase the radioresistance and for early therapy of the hematopoietic syndrome of acute radiation sickness.