Effect of Eleutherococcus extract on the radioprotective action of adeturone.

The effect of successive prophylactic administration of the adaptogen Eleutherococcus and the chemical radioprotector Adeturone on the radiation injury in rats is investigated. The experiments were carried out on sexually mature male Wistar rats weighing 170 +/- 10 g. For 14 days the animals drank water containing Eleutherococcus extract (Medexport), 5 g/kg body weight. On the 7th and 14th days the daily dose of the extract was administered totally using a probe. One hour prior to the last intake, the rats were irradiated with 3 Gr using a 137Cs source, 15 min earlier part of them were injected intraperitoneally with 300 mg/kg Adeturone. The effect of the independent and successive administration of the two agents on the postradiation damage and recovery was tested on the 1st, 3rd, 10th, 20th and 30th days after the irradiation by the change in the leucocyte count and in the quantity of nucleic acids in the leucocytic mass of the blood. The independent application of the adaptogen and radioprotector have a favourable effect only on the course of the recovery processes. Successive administration of the two agents results in mutual potentiation of the effects and guarantees a high degree of protection. This is probably due to an increase in the natural radiation resistance and to the rats' capacity for adaptation during the acute phase of the radiation stress.