The Radioprotective Effect of Whey Protein Against Gamma Irradiation-Induced Damage in Mandibular Alveolar Bone of Rats

Introduction: To prevent the harmful effects of gamma irradiation resulting from radiotherapy or from successive cumulative radiation doses during medical imaging or diagnosis, this study's objective was to to assess the possible radioprotective impact of oral whey protein isolate on gamma irradiation-induced damage to the mandibular alveolar bone of Sprague-Dawley rats.Materials and methods: Forty-five adult male rats were divided into five groups at random. In the control group (CG), 9 rats were kept away from irradiation and did not receive WP. Whey Protein Group (WPG): Nine rats received WP. In the irradiated group (IG), 9 rats were exposed to fractionated 9 Gy gamma irradiation. Protected group (PG): Nine rats received WP before irradiation. In the treated group (TG), 9 rats received WP after irradiation. Upon completing the experiment, the mandibles were histologically examined using haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson's trichrome (MT) staining.Results: The (H&E) and (MT) results of the CG and WPG revealed a normal histological architecture of mandibular alveolar bone associated with the greatest area% of newly deposited collagen. The IG showed areas of destruction in the alveolar bone as well as the lowest mean percentage of newly deposited collagen. PG and TG revealed newly deposited collagen intermingled with old collagen in histologically distinct areas of alveolar bone remodelling (resorption and deposition).Conclusion: WP administration has been proven to be powerfully radioprotective against the harmful effects of gamma irradiation on the alveolar bone of Sprague-Dawley rat mandibles through its ability to restore bone architecture, directly through its anabolic effect and indirectly through the donation of cysteine for glutathione (GSH) synthesis.