Antioxidants Taken Orally prior to Diagnostic Radiation Exposure Can Prevent DNA Injury

Purpose: To evaluate efficacy of oral antioxidant treatment given to patients before radiologic procedures in reducing x-ray induced DNA damage. Materials and Methods: In-a single-center prospective controlled trial, antioxidant treatment with 2 g ascorbate, 1.2 g N-acetylcysteine, 600 mg lipoic acid, and 30 mg beta carotene was given to 5 consecutive participants before undergoing clinically indicated technetium-99m methylene diphosphonate (Tc-99m MDP) bone scans for cancer staging. These participants were compared with 5 participants without antioxidant treatment: DNA damage was visualized in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) before and after, bone scans using three-dimensional microscopy and fluorescently labeled I gamma-H2AX protein. Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to determine whether there was a statistically significant difference in the radiation received between the control and antioxidant groups, the number of foci/cell before and after bone scan within. groups, and foci/cell after bone scan between groups. Results: There was a significantly higher number of-gamma-H2AX foci/cell after ionization radiation in the control group compared with the antioxidant group (P=.009). There was no statistically significant difference in number of gamma-H2AX foci/cell before or after exposure in the antioxidant group; the number of gamma-H2AX foci/cell was statistically significantly higher (P=.009) in the control group after exposure to Tc-99m MDP. Conclusions: In patients undergoing 99mTc MDP bone scans, treatment with oral antioxidants before scanning significantly prevented DNA damage in PBMCs. Antioxidants may-provide an effective means to protect patients and health care professidnals from radiation-induced. DNA damage during-imaging studies.