Abstract
Background: Carbamazepine, a sodium channel blocker and pro-autophagy agent used in the treatment of epilepsy and trigeminal neuralgia, is also an ionizing radiation mitigator and protector. Materials and Methods: We measured the effect of carbamazepine, compared to other pro-autophagy drugs (i.e. lithium and valproic acid), on irradiation of autophagy incompetent (Atg5−/−) and competent (Atg5+/+) mouse embryonic fibroblasts, p53−/− and p53+/+ bone marrow stromal cells, and human IB3, KM101, HeLa, and umbilical cord blood cell and in total body-irradiated or orthotopic tumor-bearing mice. Results: Carbamazepine, but not other pro-autophagy drugs, was a radiation protector and mitigator for mouse cell lines, independent of apoptosis, autophagy, p53, antioxidant store depletion, and class I phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, but was ineffective with human cells. Carbamazepine was effective when delivered 24 hours before or 12 hours after total body irradiation of C57BL/6HNsd mice and did not protect orthotopic Lewis lung tumors. Conclusion: Carbamazepine is a murine radiation protector and mitigator.
- Radioprotection
- radiation mitigation
- autophagy
- p53
- carbamazepine
- murine hematopoietic progenitor cells
- bone marrow stromal cells
- Lewis lung carcinoma cells
- Received December 12, 2011.
- Revision received January 27, 2012.
- Accepted January 31, 2012.
- Copyright © 2012 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved