Involvement of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in attenuation of radiation-induced hyperthermia by interleukin-1 alpha in rats.

Pretreatment with recombinant human interleukin-1 alpha (rhIL-1 alpha) 20 h before irradiation attenuates radiation-induced hyperthermia. Experiments were conducted to determine the role of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) in rhIL-1 alpha-induced attenuation of radiation-induced hyperthermia. Radiation exposure increased SOD and decreased GSHPx levels in the hypothalamus, while treatment with rhIL-1 alpha increased GSHPx levels and had no effect on SOD levels. However, rhIL-1 alpha and irradiation together increased hypothalamic SOD level but prevented the fall in GSHPx level. Our results suggest that attenuation of radiation-induced hyperthermia by rhIL-1 alpha may involve stimulation of SOD and GSHPx because rhIL-1 alpha treatment and irradiation together increased hypothalamic GSHPx and SOD levels, and intracerebroventricular administration of SOD and GSHPx attenuated the radiation-induced hyperthermia.