Thymoquinone Rescues T Lymphocytes from Gamma Irradiation-Induced Apoptosis and Exhaustion by Modulating Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Levels and PD-1, Bax, and Bcl-2 Signaling.

Background/aims: Recent studies have shown that thymoquinone (TQ) exerts protective effects against ionizing radiation-induced cataracts in lens after total cranium irradiation of rats. Nevertheless, there is no published work investigated the effects of TQ on T cell development and biology in animal models exposed to gamma radiation. Therefore, in the present study we focused on determining the effects of TQ on radiation damage in the thymus, radiation-induced T cell imbalance, and on immune dysfunction induced by gamma-rays.