Increases in 4-hydroxynonenal and hexanal in bone marrow of rats subjectedto total body X-ray irradiation: association with antioxidant vitamins

Radiation-induced lipid peroxidation and its association with antioxidant v itamins in the bone marrow (BM), of rats subjected to total body irradiatio n (TBI) of X-rays at a dose of 3 Gy was investigated. The concentration of vitamin C in the BM decreased at 4 h, and reached about 2% of the control l evel at 24 h after irradiation. The concentration of vitamin E in the BM al so decreased to 43% at 24 h, Corresponding to the decrease in vitamin E con centration, the concentration of 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) in the BM increased 2.5-fold at 24 h, Similarly, increases in the concentrations of hexanal an d thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBA-RS) were detected in the BM, In the plasma, these parameters of lipid peroxidation were unchanged up to 48 h, but were increased at 96 h after irradiation. Four days of vitamin E administration to rats (p.o. 460 mg/kg body weight) prior to the 3 Gy X-ir radiation increased the vitamin E concentration in the BM to 13-fold the co ntrol level, but did not attenuate the increases in HNE and hexanal in the BM, The slight accumulation of vitamin E in the BM as a result of the vitam in E treatment may be partly related to this lack of vitamin E effect.