Anti-inflammatory role of piperine against rat lung tissue damage induced by gamma-rays

Background: radiation-induced acute lung damages are refractory side effects inlung cancer radiotherapy (rt). prospective study investigates the possible role ofpiperine (pip) as antiinflammatory agent against γ-rays-induced lung tissue lesionsin an applicable rat model. materials and methods: fiytisix sprague-dawleyrats were divided into four groups: control, rats were administered thevehicle by gastric tube for 6-weeks, pip-treated, (each rat received 40mg pip/kg body-weight; once daily, orally for 6weeks), irradiated, (animals subjectedto a single dose of whole body γ-rays (12gy), and pip-treated & irradiated,(each rat received the pip-dosages, then one hour later aer the lasttreatment, rats were exposed to 12gy γ-rays. results: the administration ofpip to rats pre-irradiation was significantly abolish the radiation-inducedalleviation in lungs catalase (cat) and glutathione peroxidase (pgx) activitiesand reduced glutathione (gsh) content and significantly limited the elevationin serum tumor necrosis factor-α (tnf-α), interleukin-1β (il-1β) andinterleukin-6 (il-6) levels compared to irradiated group. the histopathologicalfindings in lung ssues of irradiated group, showed partial desquamaon ofbronchiolar epithelial with peri-bronchiolar round cell infiltration and serousexudates, in some cases lung presented sero-fibrinous pneumonia withemphysema and collapse of some alveoli with thickness of inter-alveolarsepta, while in pip-treated & irradiated group, lung tissues showed minimuminjury with or without few degenerative changes. conclusion: pip acts as apotent scavenger of free radicals to prevent and/or ameliorates the harmful effectsof γ-rays. to our knowledge, this is the preliminary report of pip mediated γ-raysinduced lung inflammaon in-vitro.