A report published in the April, 2010 issue of the journal Radiation Research revealed the unexpected discovery of researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit that delaying the administration of antioxidants following exposure to radiation results in less lethality compared to immediate treatment in an animal model.

Stephen L. Brown and his colleagues at Henry Ford’s Department of Radiation Oncology exposed groups of 14-20 mice to varying doses of total body irradiation. The animals received unsupplemented rodent chow or chow containing antioxidants beginning immediately following irradiation or 12, 24, or 48 hours later. The antioxidant supplements consisted of L-selenomethionine, sodium ascorbate (vitamin C), N-acetylcysteine, alpha-lipoic acid, alpha-tocopherol succinate (vitamin E) and coenzyme Q10.

Among the mice that received 8 Gy of irradiation, 14 out of 18 of those that received antioxidants beginning 24 hours later were alive after 30 days while all of the animals that received unsupplemented diets died. When the time of antioxidant administration was evaluated, animals who received antioxidants 24 hours following total body irradiation experienced the greatest survival compared to the other groups. Lung cells and skin samples from antioxidant treated animals were found to have less reactive oxidant species, confirming the supplements' mechanism of action against radiation damage.

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