Protective role of melatonin on blood parameters following irradiation in rat

Published on Thursday, 20 November 2025

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the preventive role of melatonin on several blood parameters after irradiation exposure in rats.

A total of 100 adult Wistar albino rats were divided into five groups. One group was used as control and other groups were treated with 60, 90, 120 and 160 cGy/min of radiation, respectively.

A dose of 4 mg/kg of melatonin was administered subcutaneously to 10 rats from each group exposed to different amounts of radiation.

Saline was administered to 10 rats from the control group. 20 days after the completion of the 10-day experiment, the rats were sacrificed and blood samples were collected for determination of erythrocytes, leukocytes, hemoglobin, hematocrit and thrombocyte levels.

In the group that received 60 cGy-radiation, the number of erythrocytes were similar to the control group, whereas the leukocyte and thrombocyte counts were increased.

In the 90 cGy-radiation exposed rats, erythrocytes, hemoglobin and hematocrit values were low as compared to the controls.

In the 120 to 160 cGy-radiation treated rats, leukocyte, hemoglobin, hematocrit and thrombocyte numbers were significantly different from the control groups (P < 0.01). In the radiation-melatonin administrated rats, no difference was seen in the blood parameters as compared to the control group, except for the thrombocyte numbers. The thrombocyte numbers in all experimental groups were significantly higher than the controls (P < 0.05).

Melatonin was effective to reverse the deleterious effects of radiation on the blood parameters in rats and this effect was found to be dose-dependent.

Download the complete article

About this publication.

- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - Melatonin tablets. From 30-40mg/day up to 200mg/day and more orally in patients with advanced stage of cancer disease and/or patients without respond to traditional treatments);

- Melatonin use in cancer patients have started in 1974, when melatonin prepared according to Prof. Di Bella’s formulation [...]. For 11 days was administered to the patient, admitted to the general medical ward at the Maggiore-Pizzardi Hospital in Bologna, very slowly (over approx. 8 hours) and intravenously administered 1000 mg of melatonin for 11 days. During the course of each day, the patient was intravenously administered 4 saline drips of 500 ml, each containing ten 25 mg bottles of freeze-dried melatonin, lasting 2 hours, totaling 1000 mg per day. No other drug of any kind was administered in order to ascertain the effect of the MLT without interference [...]. From Melatonin with adenosine solubilized in water and stabilized with glycine for oncological treatment - technical preparation, effectivity and clinical findings;

- About Melatonin - In vitro, review and in vivo publications;

- Publication: Melatonin anticancer effects: Review (from Di Bella's Foundation);

- Publication: Key aspects of melatonin physiology: 30 years of research (from Di Bella's Foundation);

- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - Cyclophosphamide 50mg tablets and/or Hydroxyurea 500mg tablets, one or two per day);

- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - Bromocriptine and/or Cabergoline);

- Prolactin inhibitors in oncology - In vitro, review and in vivo publications;

- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - Somatostatin, Octreotide, Sandostatin LAR, analogues and/or derivatives);

- Somatostatin in oncology, the overlooked evidences - In vitro, review and in vivo publications;

- Publication, 2018 Jul: Over-Expression of GH/GHR in Breast Cancer and Oncosuppressor Role of Somatostatin as a Physiological Inhibitor (from Di Bella's Foundation);

- Publication, 2018 Sep: The over-expression of GH/GHR in tumour tissues with respect to healthy ones confirms its oncogenic role and the consequent oncosuppressor role of its physiological inhibitor, somatostatin: a review of the literature (from Di Bella's Foundation);

- Publication, 2019 Aug: The Entrapment of Somatostatin in a Lipid Formulation: Retarded Release and Free Radical Reactivity (from Di Bella's Foundation);

- Publication, 2019 Sep: Effects of Somatostatin and Vitamin C on the Fatty Acid Profile of Breast Cancer Cell Membranes (from Di Bella's Foundation);