Objective To explore the in vivo effects of Huoxiang Zhengqi mixture on radiation injury induced by 5 Gy γ irradiation in mice.

Methods Male 6- to 8-week-old C57BL/6J mice at specific pathogen-free level were randomly categorized into the three following groups according to body mass: normal control (NC, n=10), ionizing radiation (IR, n=15), and IR+Huoxiang Zhengqi mixture groups (I+H, n =15). Except for the NC group, the two other groups were treated with single total body 5 Gy γ irradiation. All three groups receive gavage administration of 200 μL of either Huoxiang Zhengqi mixture (I+H group) or drinking water (NC and IR groups) within 1 h after irradiation.The administration was performed once a day for 10 days. Body weight was also measured. After the treatment period, blood was extracted from the eyeball and collected into heparin-treated tubes to examine routine blood indices before the mice were sacrificed from the neck. Major organ weights were measured, and organ coefficients were analyzed. Independent sample t test was used for the intergroup comparison.

Results The body weights of the IR and I+H groups were lower than those in the NC group, and yet on the fourth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth days after irradiation, the body weights of the I+H group were higher than those in the IR group (t=2.138–2.529, P=0.027–0.045). The organ coefficients of heart, liver, thymus, and spleen in the I+H group were higher than those in the IR group, and the differences were statistically significant (t=1.768, 1.894, 2.085, 1.992; P=0.022,0.023,0.038,0.044). The differences in the spleen and thymus weights between the IR and I+H groups were significant (t=2.517, 2.158; P=0.025, 0.029). Multiple blood indices such as hemoglobin, white blood cell count, and blood platelet between each group were significantly different (t=2.262–3.916, P=0.000–0.005).

Conclusions Huoxiang Zhengqi mixture can alleviate the weight loss and hematopoietic system damage of mice induced by γ-ray irradiation (5 Gy), and exert certain radiation protection function.