Capability of Vitamin E as a Radioprotector in Suppressing DNA Damage Determined with Comet Assay

Radiation has a potent to damage cells. Radiation may act directly or indirectly on
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) that results in the degeneration of tissues and necrotic,
and thereby it needs a potent radioprotector to prevent these damages. Vitamin
E is natural product known as an antioxidant which has potential as radioprotector.
This research aimed to determine the capability of vitamin E with emphasized on
the searching for its optimal concentration as radioprotector of DNA damage. This
study used blood samples of healthy person irradiated with gamma rays at a dose of
6 Gy as the lethal dose to lymphocytes. The cocentrations of vitamin E from 0 to 0.8
mM was added into blood 15 minutes before irradiation. Isolation of lymphocytes
was done using gradient centrifugation method. Evaluation on the capability of this
compound in suppressing DNA damage was done by using alkaline Comet assay
and data analysis was done using CaspLab program. The results show that addition
of vitamin E could suppres these DNA damages and 0.8 mM of vitamin could reduce
DNA damage up to 94.2%. We conclude that vitamin E effectively suppresed
DNA damages induced by radiation. This information may benefit to the patient
from negative impacts of radiotherapy.