Myrtus communis reduces radiation-induced genitourinary histopathological damage and apoptosis in rats: TROD-GROG-004 Study

Year 2025, Volume: 38 Issue: 3, 190 - 197, 10.10.2025

Selnur Özkurt , Bedriye Doğan , Nagehan Özyılmaz Aslı Aykaç , Büşra Ertaş , Ali Şen , Cemile Ceylan , Feriha Ercan , Beste Atasoy

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the radioprotective and prophylactic effects of Myrtus communis (MC) in kidney, bladder, and ovary samples
in an animal model.
Materials and Methods: Female rats (n=30) were divided into four groups. The control group (C) (n=6) received only oral saline (SF)
for four days. Ionizing radiation (IR) groups were organized as follows: “IR group (IR)” (n=8) received oral SF for four days starting on
the day of administration; “MC treatment group (MC-tx)” (n=8) received oral MC for four days beginning on the day of irradiation;
and “MC pretreatment group (MC-Ptx)” (n=8) received oral MC for a total of eight days, starting four days before irradiation. MC was
administered via oral gavage. Irradiation was performed at 10 Gray (Gy) in a single dose. On the fourth day of irradiation, all rats were
sacrificed, the tissues were examined histopathologically, and caspase-9 and caspase-3 levels were examined using western blotting to
assess mitochondrial apoptosis.
Results: Radiation-induced damage decreased across all treatment groups. Caspase-9 and caspase-3 levels were significantly lower in
the MC-Ptx and MC-tx groups compared to the IR group in all tissues (p<0.01).
Conclusion: Myrtus communis significantly ameliorated IR-induced damage to genitourinary tissues by both prophylactic and
therapeutic applications. Therefore, the findings of this study may contribute to the development of new strategies in radioprotection.

Keywords

Bladder , Kidney , Myrtus communis , Radioprotection , Rats , Ovary

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