{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,20]],"date-time":"2025-11-20T12:34:48Z","timestamp":1763642088019,"version":"3.45.0"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"22","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,20]],"date-time":"2025-11-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1763596800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan University Development Foundation","award":["02025011017786"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["02025011017786"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Radiotherapy (RT) induces oxidative stress and structural damage in solid tissues, including the liver. This study aimed to investigate the histological and immunohistochemical effects of dexmedetomidine (DEX) and amifostine on their potential protective and regenerative properties against liver injury induced by radiation therapy. Methods: This study consisted of five randomized groups: control, RT, RT-D100, RT-D200, and RT-A (Amifostine). A total of 100 \u00b5g\/kg DEX, 200 \u00b5g\/kg DEX, and 200 \u00b5g\/kg amifostine were administered before radiotherapy as per the experimental design. After RT, liver specimens were analyzed for histological alterations, including periportal and perisinusoidal fibrosis, vacuolization, and pyknotic nuclei. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry investigations were conducted to evaluate apoptosis, mitosis, oxidative stress, and neural regeneration in non-neuronal liver tissue following radiotherapy and subsequent treatment. Results: The control group\u2019s liver tissue exhibited standard histological architecture, whereas the RT group displayed severe cellular degeneration, periportal and perisinusoidal fibrosis, cytoplasmic vacuolization, and an increase in pyknotic nuclei. The apoptotic index was markedly reduced in the RT-D100 and RT-D200 groups relative to the RT group. Furthermore, caspase-3 immunoactivity was negligible in the control group, while a significant increase was observed in the RT group. The administration of amifostine significantly increased GAP-43 levels. Conclusions: DEX mitigates RT-induced hepatic injury chiefly through antioxidant and anti-apoptotic pathways, whereas amifostine promotes hepatic regeneration by modulating GAP-43.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm14228238","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,20]],"date-time":"2025-11-20T12:02:42Z","timestamp":1763640162000},"page":"8238","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Could Different Doses of Dexmedetomidine Be as Effective as Amifostine Against Radiotherapy-Induced Liver Injury in Rats? Evidence from Mitotic, Apoptotic, Oxidative, and Neurogenic Insights"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Hatice","family":"Beyazal Polat","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize 53100, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8324-1891","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hamit","family":"Yilmaz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmara\u015f S\u00fctc\u00fc \u0130mam University, Kahramanmaras 46040, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kas\u0131m","family":"Demir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Training and Research Hospital, Samsun 55220, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3649-8336","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kagan","family":"Kilinc","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Genetic and Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Gumushane University, Gumushane 29000, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Belemir","family":"G\u00fclhan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Samsun University, Samsun 55080, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5543-9761","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sema Yilmaz","family":"Rakici","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Radiation Oncology, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize 53100, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Levent","family":"Tumkaya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz May\u0131s University, Samsun 55139, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Batcik, S., Tumkaya, L., Dil, E., Kazancioglu, L., Gaygusuz, E., Yazici, Z.A., Ozden, Z., Kilinc, K., and Mercantepe, T. 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