Objective To study radioprotective effect of walnut oligopeptides (WOPs).
Methods Totally 144 specific pathogen free (SPF) female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 6 groups (24 in each group): a control and a model group (supplied with distilled water without additive), whey protein group (with 0.44 g/kg whey protein in drinking water) and low, moderate, high WOPs groups (with 0.22, 0.44, and 0.88 g/kg WOPs in drinking water). All the mice were exposed to a whole body irradiation of 60Co γ ray at the dosage of 8 or 3 Gy at 14th day of the treatment except for those of the control group. Then, the mice in every group were subdivided into 3 groups (8 in group): one for survival observation 30 days after the 8 Gy irradiation and another two for determinations of peripheral leukocyte count, bone marrow DNA content, liver and serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and organ index 3 and 14 days after the 3 Gy irradiation, respectively.
Results The survival time of model group was 4.50 ± 0.76 days, significantly decreased compared to that of the control group (P < 0.05); the survival time of high WOPs group was 7.50 ± 1.77 days, significantly increased in comparison to that of the model group (P < 0.05). Significantly lower peripheral leukocyte count than that of control group was observed in the model group 3 days (1.38 ± 0.68 × 109/mL) and 14 days (1.66 ± 0.67 × 109/mL) after the 3 Gy irradiation (both P < 0.05); while, significantly higher peripheral leukocyte count than that of the model group was observed in high WOPs group 3 days (2.73 ± 0.58. × 109/mL) and 14 days (3.25 ± 0.40. × 109/mL) after the 3 Gy irradiation (both P < 0.05). The bone marrow cell DNA content decreased significantly in the mice of the model group (19.81 ± 12.18 ng/μL) but increased significantly in the mice of moderate WOPs group (51.06 ± 8.48 ng/μL) compared to that in the mice of control group (P < 0.05).
Conclusion To some extent, walnut oligopeptides are of radioprotective effect in mice.
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