To observe the effect and the mechanisms of ferulic acid on radiation-induced damage of mice peripheral blood and bone marrow hematopoietic function.

Ninety-six mice were randomly divided into sham irradiation group, irradiation group, positive drug group and 10, 30, 90 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 ferulic acid group, 16 mice per group. Mice were exposed to 3.5 Gy γ-rays 24 h after first drug taken. Then, mice were given drugs for 7 d after irradiation. White blood cells in peripheral blood of 10 mice per group were counted 2 d before irradiation and 3, 7, 10, 15 and 22 days after irradiation. The bone marrow of the other six mice was taken to detect the micronuclei frequency of polychromatic erythrocyte, the hematopoietic progenitor cell colony formation capacity, Thbd and HMGB1 protein expressions in mice bone marrow on the seventh day after irradiation.

Compared with the irradiation alone group, the treatment of mice with ferulic acid 90 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 increased the number of white blood cells in peripheral blood at 3, 10, 15 and 22 d after irradiation (t=2.267, 2.399, 1.945, 2.828, P<0.05). Treatment with mice with ferulic acid 90 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 decreased the micronuclei rate of erythrocytes in irradiated bone marrow (t=4.013, P<0.05), increased the clone numbers of CFU-E, BFU-E and CFU-GM of hematopoietic progenitor cells (t=2.366, 2.953, 3.115, P<0.05), improved the relative expression of the Thbd protein in bone marrow and the HMGB1 protein in nuclear (t=17.75, 23.39, P<0.01).

Ferulilc acid could protect the bone marrow hematopoietic of mice exposed to irradiation by regulating the expressions of Thbd and HMGB1 protein, and then accelerate the peripheral cells recovery.

Ferulic acid; Radiation protection; Bone marrow hematopoiesis; Thrombomodulin; High mobility group box-1 protein