Science: Gut bacteria protect against the negative effects of harmful radiation

Nov 1, 2020 /--- A new study published in the Journal of Science by scientists at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center suggests that mice exposed to potentially lethal levels of systemic radiation can be protected from radiation damage if they have certain types of bacteria in their intestines.
the radiation absorbed in clinical settings or during accidental exposure can damage tissue, and in this study, the researchers found that specific bacteria can reduce the damage caused by radiation exposure, enhance the recovery of blood cell production, and repair the gastrointestinal tract.
the researchers noted that only one group of "elite" mice had strong resistance to strong radiation and that two bacteria, Lachnospiraceae and Enterococcaceae, had high abundance.
important for humans, both types of bacteria are high in leukemia patients with mild gastrointestinal symptoms who are receiving radiation therapy.
(Photo: www.pixabay.com) shows that the presence of two bacteria leads to increased production of small molecules called alanate and tryptophan.
these metabolites provide long-term protection against radiation, reduce damage to bone marrow stem cell production, reduce the development of severe gastrointestinal diseases, and reduce DNA damage.
two metabolites can be purchased as health products in some countries, there is no evidence that they can help people exposed to strong forms of radiation.
exposure to organs caused by high doses of radiation, including accidental exposure, cancer radiotherapy, targeted radiation attacks, and other forms of exposure, can lead to serious illness and even death.
blood cells in the body and tissues in the gastrointestinal tract are rapidly updated and are therefore particularly vulnerable to radiation damage.
, however, there are more than 10 trillion microbes in the gastrointestinal tract that can play an important role in limiting radiation-induced damage.
because radiation therapy, widely used to treat cancer, often leads to gastrointestinal side effects, the researchers wanted to know how their experiments in mice turned clinically.
worked with colleagues at Duke University, Memorial Sloan Kettering Memorial University and the Will Cornell School of Medicine to study stool samples from 21 leukaemia patients.
found that patients with shorter diarrhea had significantly higher levels of lactic acid and enterococcal in patients with longer diarrhea.
these findings are closely related to what researchers found in mice, although a large number of larger studies are needed to validate these findings.
(bioon.com) Source: Microbes in the gut can be protective against the original source of radiation: Hao Guo et al, Multi-omics analyses of radiation survivors identifys, Radioprotective microbes and metabolites, Science (2020). DOI: 10.1126/science.aay9097