Effects of Chahuangjing on Decorporation and Radiation Protection Against Tritiated Water

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Chahuangjing, a novel traditional Chinese medicinal compound, on decorporation and radiation protection against tritiated water (HTO). Sixty male specific-pathogen-free-grade C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into 12 groups: mice in 4 control groups were intraperitoneally injected with sterile water; mice in 4 HTO groups were intraperitoneally injected with 11.1 × 10(5) Bq/g of HTO; and mice in the other 4 groups were administered with HTO and a Chahuangjing compound (0.2 mL, once daily). After 1, 7, 14, and 21 days, the mice were killed and samples were collected. A liquid scintillation counting method was used for tritium measurement. A fully automated hematology analyzer was used to assess blood samples. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content was analyzed using commercial kits. Chahuangjing significantly increased decorporation and shortened the effective half-life of tritium. To a certain extent, Chahuangjing alleviated the HTO-induced reduction in white blood cells and elevated red blood cells after HTO exposure. Moreover, Chahuangjing alleviated the HTO-induced reduction in SOD activity and reduced MDA. Our study demonstrated that Chahuangjing can enhance the elimination of tritium and reduce free radicals to alleviate HTO-induced radiation injury.