Rescue effects of ginger extract on dose dependent radiation-induced histological and biochemical changes in the kidneys of male Wistar rats.

Radiation is an essential modality in the management of cancer therapy, but its acute and chronic side effects on the normal organs limit the helpfulness of radiotherapy. The deleterious effects of radiation begin with oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction to radiolytic hydrolysis and formation of free radicals. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of dose dependent whole body radiation exposure on histological and biochemical alterations in rat kidney. It was also planned to find out whether ginger extract mitigated the deleterious effects of different doses of radiation in rat kidney. Male Wistar rats were exposed to three doses (2, 4, and 8Gy) of γ- ray with or without a 10day pretreatment with ginger extract. After 10days of whole body γ- ray exposure, the results revealed proliferation of glomerular and tubular cells, fibrosis in glomerular and peritubular and a significant increase in 8-OHdG, CRP, cystatin C (in 8Gy), plasma urea and creatinine levels, as well as a significant decrease in total antioxidant capacity of radiation groups compared to those of the control group. Ginger extract administration once daily for 10 consecutive days before exposure to 2-4-8Gy radiotherapy, which ameliorated histological and biochemical alterations in kidneys of the rats entirely or partially compared to those in the ethanol group rats. These findings indicate that whole body exposure to radiation induces kidney damage through oxidative DNA damage and inflammatory reactions, and that these effects can be alleviated using ginger pretreatment as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent.

Hyperthermia: How Can It Be Used?

Hyperthermia (HT) is a method used to treat tumors by increasing the temperature of the cells. The treatment can be applied in combination with other verified cancer treatments using several different procedures. We sought to present an overview of the different HT tumor treatment, recent advances in the field, and combinational treatment sequences and outcomes. We used a computer-aided search to identify articles that contained the keywords hyperthermia, cancer treatment, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, nanoparticle, and cisplatin. There are three types of HT treatment, which each need the use of applicators that are in contact with or in the proximity of the patient for the purpose of heating. Heating can be achieved using different types of energy (including microwaves, radio waves, and ultrasound). However, the source of energy will depend on the cancer type and location. The temperature used will also vary. HT is rarely used alone, and can be combined with other cancer treatments. When used in combination with other treatments, improved survival rates have been observed. However, despite in vitro and in vivo studies that support the use of concurrent hypothermia treatments, contradictory results suggest there is a need for more studies to identify other hidden effects of HT.