ACLS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Altas, E.
Right arrow Articles by Demirci, E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Altas, E.
Right arrow Articles by Demirci, E.
Annals of Clinical & Laboratory Science 36:312-318 (2006)
© 2006 Association of Clinical Scientists

L-Carnitine Reduces Cochlear Damage Induced by Gamma Irradiation in Guinea Pigs

Enver Altas1, Mustafa Vecdi Ertekin2, Cemal Gundogdu3 and Elif Demirci3
1 Departments of Otolaryngology, 2 Radiation Oncology, and 3 Pathology, School of Medicine, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey

Address correspondence to Dr. Enver Altas, Ataturk Universitesi, Tip Fakultesi, K.B.B. Anabilim Dali, Erzurum 25240, Turkey; tel 90 442 236 1212; fax 90 442 236-1301; e-mail enveraltas{at}hotmail.com.

L-carnitine (LC) protects cells from peroxidative damage. In this study, we tested whether L-carnitine (LC) prevents radiation-induced cochlear damage after total cranial irradiation (radiotherapy; RT). Male albino guinea pigs were randomly distributed in 3 groups. The Control group (n = 11) received neither LC nor irradiation, but saline solution ip and sham irradiation for 5 days. The RT group (n = 32) received saline solution ip as placebo therapy and exposure to total cranial irradiation of 33 Gy in 5 fractions of 6.6 Gy/day on 5 successive days, with a calculated ({alpha}/ß = 3.5) biological effective dose of fractionated irradiation equal to 60 Gy conventional fractionation. The LC + RT group (n = 36) received total cranial irradiation, plus LC (100 mg/kg/day, ip) for 5 days. The guinea pigs were killed at 4, 24, or 96 hr after the last dose of RT and the cochleas were enucleated for histopathologic examination. There was no cochlear degeneration in the control group. In the RT group, total cranial irradiation caused degeneration in stria vascularis (SV), spiral ganglion (SG), outer hair cells (OHC), and inner hair cells (IHC) of cochleas at 4, 24, and 96 hr. In the LC + RT group, LC administration reduced radiation-induced cochlear degeneration in SV and SG at 4, 24, and 96 hr, and in OHC and IHC at 24 and 96 hr (p <0.05). Thus, this study shows that L-carnitine can ameliorate radiation-induced cochlear damage in guinea pigs.

Keywords: gamma irradiation, cochlear damage, L-carnitine, antioxidant, radioprotection






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2006 by the Association of Clinical Scientists.