Anwar Mumtaz, Ahmad Shabeer, Akhtar Reyhan, Mahmood Akhtar, Mahmood Safrun
Department of Experimental Medicine and Biotechnology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Department of Biochemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.
Technol Cancer Res Treat. 2017 Dec;16(6):676-691. doi: 10.1177/1533034617707598. Epub 2017 May 22.
Radiation enteritis is one of the most feared complications of abdominal and pelvic regions. Thus, radiation to abdominal or pelvic malignancies unavoidably injures the intestine. Because of rapid cell turnover, the intestine is highly sensitive to radiation injury, which is the limiting factor in the permissible dosage of irradiation. Bowel injuries such as fistulas, strictures, and chronic malabsorption are potentially life-threatening complications and have an impact on patient quality of life. The incidence of radiation enteritis is increasing because of the current trend of combined chemotherapy and radiation. The consequences of radiation damage to the intestine may result in considerable morbidity and even mortality. The observed effects of ionizing radiation are mediated mainly by oxygen-free radicals that are generated by its action on water and are involved in several steps of signal transduction cascade, leading to apoptosis. The oxyradicals also induce DNA strand breaks and protein oxidation. An important line of defense against free radical damage is the presence of antioxidants. Therefore, administration of antioxidants may ameliorate the radiation-induced damage to the intestine.
放射性肠炎是腹部和盆腔区域最可怕的并发症之一。因此，对腹部或盆腔恶性肿瘤进行放疗不可避免地会损伤肠道。由于细胞更新迅速，肠道对辐射损伤高度敏感，这是限制照射剂量的因素。诸如瘘管、狭窄和慢性吸收不良等肠道损伤是潜在的危及生命的并发症，并会影响患者的生活质量。由于目前联合化疗和放疗的趋势，放射性肠炎的发病率正在上升。辐射对肠道造成的损害后果可能导致相当高的发病率甚至死亡率。观察到的电离辐射效应主要由其作用于水产生的氧自由基介导，并参与信号转导级联反应的几个步骤，导致细胞凋亡。氧自由基还会诱导DNA链断裂和蛋白质氧化。对抗自由基损伤的一道重要防线是抗氧化剂的存在。因此，给予抗氧化剂可能会减轻辐射对肠道的损伤。
