Anti-emetic effect of ondansetron and granisetron after exposure to mixed neutron and gamma irradiation

The anti-emetic efficiency of orally administered ondansetron and granisetron has been tested in macaques exposed to a mixed gamma and neutron radiation (6 Gy) with a high neutron/gamma-ray ratio. Our experiments reveal that a single delivery of ondansetron (1 or 2 mg kg(-1)) or of granisetron (0.25 mg kg(-1)) 45-90 min before irradiation or 35-45 min after irradiation was not totally effective. Conversely, the delivery of two doses with the same delay prior to and after exposure led to a complete prevention of vomiting and retching. These observations can be explained by the dual mechanism of radiation-induced emesis: an early peripheral mechanism and a later central mechanism. Two deliveries of 5-HT(3) receptor antagonists seem to disrupt serotonergic transmission at the brain stem structures and to affect the peripheral release of serotonin from the gut, thus completely preventing radiation-induced vomiting. This study confirms that the 5-HT(3)-dependent mechanisms that mediate emesis are similar for both neutron and gamma radiation. (C) 1998 by Radiation Research Society.