Abstract

Radiation enteritis (RE) is the most common radiotherapy complication, and effective RE treatments are lacking. Resveratrol exerts beneficial effects on radiation injury. However, the effect of resveratrol in radiation-induced intestinal injury and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. Here, a C57BL/6 mouse model of RE was established and an intestinal epithelial cell line was used to evaluate the protective effects of resveratrol against radiation-induced intestinal injury and the underlying mechanisms. Resveratrol improved radiation-induced oxidative stress and cell apoptosis via upregulating antioxidant enzymes and downregulating p53 acetylation. In vivo , resveratrol-treated mice exhibited longer survival; longer villi; more intestinal crypt cells; upregulated expression of Ki67, catalase, and superoxide dismutase 2; and fewer inflammatory proteins and apoptotic cells. These protective effects were suppressed by inhibition of SIRT1. These results demonstrate that resveratrol can reduce radiation-induced intestinal injury by inhibiting oxidative stress and apoptosis via the SIRT1/FOXO3a and PI3K/AKT pathways.