Abstract
We have demonstrated that grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPs) could effectively scavenge hydroxyl radical (•OH) in a dose-dependent manner. Since most of the ionizing radiation- (IR-) induced injuries were caused by •OH, this study was to investigate whether GSPs would mitigate IR-induced injuries in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrated that GSPs could significantly reduce IR-induced DNA strand breaks (DSBs) and apoptosis of human lymphocyte AHH-1 cells. This study also showed that GSPs could protect white blood cells (WBC) from IR-induced injuries, speed up the weight of mice back, and decrease plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), thus improving the survival rates of mice after ionizing radiation. It is suggested that GSPs have a potential as an effective and safe radioprotective agent.