The cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay as a biological dosimeter in spleen and peripheral blood lymphocytes of the mouse following acute whole-body irradiation

To evaluate the application of the cytokinesis-block (CB) micronucleus (MN) assay as a biological dosimeter following in vivo exposure to ionising radiation we determined the micronucleus frequency in spleen and peripheral blood lymphocytes of the mouse, serially, for 14 days following acute whole-body irradiation. The baseline MN frequency of spleen lymphocytes (7.86 +/- 0.68, mean +/- 1 SD) was significantly (p less than 0.001) elevated when compared to that for peripheral blood lymphocytes (4.10 +/- 0.53). Immediately after irradiation there was a substantial dose-related increase in MN, but the MN frequencies in spleen lymphocytes (120.2 +/- 9.4 for 1 Gy; 409.5 +/- 38.4 for 2 Gy) were significantly (p less than 0.009) elevated compared to those in peripheral blood lymphocytes (78.0 +/- 7.0 for 1 Gy; 200.2 +/- 10.9 for 2 Gy). During the 14 days after irradiation, the MN frequency in spleen lymphocytes declined gradually to approximately half of the value observed immediately after irradiation. By contrast the MN frequency in peripheral blood lymphocytes increased during the week after irradiation, but ultimately MN frequencies in blood and spleen became approximately the same by day 14. Study of isolated murine lymphocytes irradiated in vitro showed that the number of MN generated by a given dose of radiation was approximately 2-3 times greater than the number generated by in vivo irradiation. These results suggest that measurement of MN in vivo after irradiation can be used as an in vivo dosimeter. However, precise dosimetry is probably affected by factors such as kinetic changes in different lymphocyte populations and possibly by in vivo factors which influence sensitivity of cells to radiation.     

The radiosensitivity of kidney colony-forming cells: a short-term assay in situ in the mouse

A short-term colony assay for renal tubule epithelium has been developed. Uranyl nitrate (UN) is a heavy metal nephrotoxin that induces acute tubule necrosis followed by a large compensatory increase in the rate of cell proliferation in the nephron. UN was used to precipitate latent damage following renal irradiation. Using a subcapsular colony count at 14 days after unilateral irradiation, a single-dose cell survival curve was obtained with a D0 of 4.2 +/- 0.3 Gy. High-dose irradiation of an exteriorized kidney resulted in a survival curve which was biphasic, with a plateau in survival between 18 and 40 Gy. Subtraction of this plateau level from all the survival data gave D0 values of 2.5 +/- 0.2 Gy (data analyzed between 7.5 and 16 Gy) or 2.0 +/- 0.2 Gy (over range 12-16 Gy). The D0 value obtained at 20 months after bilateral (or unilateral) kidney irradiation, without the use of UN, was 2.9 +/- 1.1 Gy (over range 10-14 Gy).     

Response kinetics of radiation-induced micronucleated reticulocytes in human bone marrow culture

The frequency of micronucleated reticulocytes (MN-RETs) in the bone marrow or peripheral blood is a sensitive indicator of cytogenetic damage. While the kinetics of MN-RET induction in rodent models following irradiation has been investigated and reported, information about MN-RET induction of human bone marrow after radiation exposure is sparse. In this report, we describe a human long-term bone marrow culture (LTBMC), established in three-dimensional (3D) bioreactors, which sustains long-term erythropoiesis. Using this system, we measured the kinetics of human bone marrow red blood cell (RBC) and reticulocyte (RET) production, as well as the kinetics of human MN-RET induction following radiation exposure up to 6Gy. Human bone marrow established in the 3D bioreactor demonstrated an average percentage of RBCs among total viable cells peaking at 21% on day 21. The average percentage of RETs among total viable cells reached a maximum of 11% on day 14, and remained above 5% by day 28, suggesting that terminal erythroid differentiation was still active. Time- and dose-dependent induction of MN-RET by gamma radiation was observed in the human 3D LTBMC, with peak values occurring at approximately 3 days following 1Gy irradiation. A trend towards delayed peak to 3-5 days post-radiation was observed with radiation doses ≥2Gy. Our data reveal valuable information on the kinetics of radiation-induced MN-RET of human bone marrow cultured in the 3D bioreactor, a synthetic bioculture system, and suggest that this model may serve as a promising tool for studying MN-RET formation in human bone marrow, thereby providing opportunities to study bone marrow genotoxicity testing, mitigating agent effects, and other conditions that are not ordinarily feasible to experimental manipulation in vivo.     

Change in the succinate dehydrogenase activity of peripheral lymphocytes in the rat in early periods following exposure to ionizing radiation

Activity of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) in peripheral blood lymphocytes of albino mongrel rats was determined during an hour following gamma-irradiation. The highest SDH activity in blood lymphocytes (a 41 per cent increase) was registered 20-30 min following 75 Gy irradiation of the head. With a dose of 20 Gy the SDH response was twice as low. During 1 h following irradiation with a dose of 200 Gy the SDH activity exhibited a 10 per cent decrease.     

Effect of parenteral nitrogen feeding on the free amino acid composition of the blood serum and liver tissue in irradiated rats

A considerable change in the free amino acid composition of blood serum and hepatic tissue was noted on the 7th and 14th days following total-body X-irradiation of rats with a dose of 2.9 Gy. The total free amino acid content of blood serum increased and that of hepatic tissue decreased by 85% (on an average) as compared to the intact controls. Quantitative changes in the content of individual amino acids were analysed. Polyamine injected enterally for 7 days and parenterally for 3 days after irradiation aids the elimination of the postirradiation changes in the amino acid balance.     

Functional and structural alterations of epithelial barrier properties of rat ileum following X-irradiation

Irradiation of the digestive system leads to alterations of the small intestine. We have characterized the disruption of the barrier integrity in rat ileum from 1 to 14 days following irradiation ranging from 6 to 12 Gy. The intestinal permeability to 14C-mannitol and 3H-dextran 70 000 was measured in vitro in Ussing chambers. In parallel to these functional studies, immunohistochemical analyses of junctional proteins (ZO-1 and beta-catenin) of ileal epithelium were performed by confocal microscopy. Irradiation with 10 Gy induced a marked decrease in epithelial tissue resistance at three days and a fivefold increase in mannitol permeability, without modifications of dextran permeability. A disorganization of the localization for ZO-1 and beta-catenin was also observed. At 7 days after irradiation, we observed a recovery of the organization of junctional proteins in parallel to a return of intestinal permeability to control value. In addition to these time-dependent effects, a gradual effect on epithelial integrity of the radiation doses was observed 3 days after irradiation. This study shows a disruption of the integrity of the intestinal barrier in rat ileum following abdominal X-irradiation, depending on the time postirradiation and on the delivered dose. The loss of barrier integrity was characterized by a disorganization of proteins of tight and adherent junctions, leading to increased intestinal permeability to mannitol.     

Effect of long-term exposure to low dose gamma-irradiation on the rat thyroid status

The effect of long-term exposure to low-dose external radiation on the rat thyroid status was studied. The experiments were carried out on Wistar female rats. The single doses absorbed were 0.1; 0.25; 0.5 Gy. The rats were irradiated 20 times (5 days x 4 weeks). The animals were decapitated after 1, 30 and 180 days following the last irradiation. Blood serum was assayed for content of thyroxin (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) radioimmunologically. The liver was spectrophotometrically assayed for thyroid-induced NADP-malatedehydrogenase (NADP-MDH). It was shown that the long-term 0.5-Gy irradiation of the animals induced a decrease in blood T4 and T3 concentrations 1.34-1.71-fold and 1.24-1.43-fold after 1, 30 and 180 days, respectively. The T3 level was diminished most pronouncedly after 1 day, whereas that of T4--after 30 days following the exposure. With the doses of 0.1 and 0.25 Gy absorbed, the T4 and T3 concentration remained unchanged throughout all the periods studied. The activity of NADP-MDH was decreased 1.55-2.46-fold in all the experimental animals, and it was held decreased after 180 days (1.43-1.50-fold) in 0.25- and 0.5-Gy-irradiated groups, which indicates a disturbance in thyroid hormone metabolism in rats exposed chronically to low-dose radiation. After 180 days, the experimental animals experienced an elevation of thyroid gland weight on 15-20%. The thyroid status disturbance seemed to be due to both inhibited T4 and T3 biosynthesis in thyroid and disturbed hormone peripheral metabolism under radiation exposure.     

Chromatin degradation in white blood cells of irradiated rats

A study was made of the dose-time relationship during chromatin degradation in white blood cells of non-irradiated and irradiated rats. There was a linear increase in the release of PDN from leukocytes 1,2 and 3 days after irradiation (1-3 Gy) followed by the deceleration of the chromatin degradation at doses exceeding 3 Gy.     

Morphology of mononuclear cells in the peripheral blood of rats after single irradiation

The morphology of nucleated cells in the peripheral blood of rats after single dose irradiation with a dose of 5.5 Gy was followed during 28 days after irradiation. During profound agranulocytopenia and granulocytopenia the number of lymphocyte-like mononuclear cells was increased from the days 7-10 after irradiation and the number of monocyte-like mononuclear cells increased from day 14. The cell population discussed in the paper differed markedly from typical lymphocytes and monocytes in particular cytomorphologic parameters.     

The effect of X irradiation on cardiac beta-adrenergic receptors in the rabbit

Cardiac beta receptors in rabbits were studied at different times following lethal (5 Gy) or supralethal (10 Gy) whole-body X irradiation. Using the radioactive ligand [125I]iodocyanopindolol, it was found that the maximal binding capacity, as determined from the Scatchard plot, decreased from 298.2 +/- 13.2 fmole/mg protein in controls to 142.4 +/- 5.5 fmole/mg 3 days after 10 Gy whole-body X irradiation, whereas the dissociation constant was only little affected. Three days after an exposure to 5 Gy, maximal binding capacity was reduced slightly and tended toward control values at Day 7. Local irradiation of the cardiac region with 10 Gy reduced cardiac beta receptors to 218 +/- 7 fmole/mg (73% of control) after 3 days. The latter observation suggests that about half the effect of radiation on cardiac beta receptors originates from a direct action of radiation on the heart tissue, the rest being due to abscopal systemic reactions.     

Characteristics of the development of interphase death of hematopoietic tissue in dogs in response to gamma irradiation

In experiments with 2-3 week dogs it was shown that whole-body gamma-irradiation with a dose of 3 Gy causes an insignificant absolute rise in the amount of degrading chromatin of the haemopoietic organs during the first 24 h following irradiation. After 48 h, this cell death parameter is normalized. A considerably lower radiosensitivity of lymphoid cells of dogs compared to small laboratory animals is indicated by a stable DNA content per 1 g of thymus, intactness of its structure after irradiation, and the absence of an increase in thymidine content of blood of young and adult dogs under the effect of 3-3.7 Gy radiation.     

Langerhans cell number and morphology in mouse footpad epidermis after X irradiation

Effects of 250-kV X rays on epidermal Langerhans cells were studied in CBA/CaH mice. One group received 20 Gy to the feet, another 8 Gy to the whole body, and a third both the 8 Gy whole-body and a 12 Gy local dose to the feet. Mice from each group and controls were sacrificed at intervals from 1 to 64 days later. ATPase-positive cells in sheets of footpad epidermis were counted by light microscopy. The density of Langerhans cells in controls was 1515 +/- 36/mm2 (mean +/- SE; n = 34). By 3 days after irradiation they became rounded and less dendritic and numbers gradually reached a nadir by 10 days, at 18% of controls after 20 Gy and 57% of controls after 8 Gy. Some of the remainder exhibited bizarre morphology and ultrastructural abnormalities. After local irradiation of the feet Langerhans cell numbers recovered rapidly between 14 and 16 days, although their distribution was uneven until 30 days after irradiation. Repopulation was delayed after an 8 Gy whole-body dose by at least 3 weeks. These results demonstrate that high local doses of X rays substantially but transiently deplete the epidermal Langerhans cell population and support the hypothesis that functional hemopoietic tissue is required for extensive Langerhans cell replenishment.     

Hematopoietic radiation syndrome in the Gottingen minipig

Additional large animal models for the acute radiation syndrome (ARS) would facilitate countermeasure development. We demonstrate here that Gottingen minipigs develop hematopoietic ARS symptoms similar to those observed in canines, non-human primates (NHPs) and humans. Dosimetry for whole-body γ irradiation (0.6 Gy/min) was performed using electronic paramagnetic resonance (EPR) with alanine; National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-calibrated alanine pellets and water-filled Plexiglas phantoms were used. After irradiations of 1.6-2.0 Gy, blood pancytopenia was observed for several weeks, accompanied by the characteristic ARS stages: prodromal symptoms, latent period, illness and recovery or morbidity. Morbidity occurred between days 14 and 27, with a preliminary LD(50/30) estimate between 1.7 and 1.9 Gy. The criterion of whether platelet counts were <200 × 10(3)/μl 7 days postirradiation predicted whether animals would survive in 18 out of 20 cases. The degree of granulocytosis 3 h postirradiation was inversely correlated with survival. Animals euthanized based on preset morbidity criteria displayed signs of multi-organ dysfunction, including widespread internal hemorrhage and alterations in organ function reflected in blood chemistry. Circulating C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker for inflammation, became elevated within hours after irradiation, subsided after several days, and increased again after 14 days. The results support further development of the Gottingen minipig as a model for ARS.     

Selection of genetically distinct,rapidly proliferating clones does not contribute to repopulation during fractionated irradiation in FaDu squamous cell carcinoma

Acceleration of clonogen repopulation during fractionated irradiation after about 3 weeks has been demonstrated previously in FaDu human squamous cell carcinoma in nude mice (Petersen et al., Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 51, 483-493, 2001). Selection of genetically distinct, rapidly proliferating clones might contribute to this phenomenon. To address this question, three sublines (R1-R3) were established from FaDu tumors that recurred locally after fractionated irradiation. The tumors were retransplanted and irradiated under clamp hypoxia with single doses or with 18 x 3 Gy within 18 days or 36 days, followed by graded top-up doses. The results were compared with data obtained after the same treatment schedules in the parental tumor line. Histologies, tumor volume doubling times, and potential doubling times of FaDu sublines R1-R3 were not different from those of the parental line. The radiation dose required to control 50% of the tumors (TCD(50)) after single-dose irradiation of 37-38 Gy was the same for the FaDu sublines R1-R3 and the parental tumor. The top-up TCD(50) values for the FaDu sublines R1-R3 after 18 fractions within 36 days were 14-17 Gy higher than those after 18 fractions within 18 days, indicating significant repopulation. The magnitude of this effect was not significantly different between the sublines R1-R3 or between these sublines and the parental FaDu tumors. The results indicate that selection of genetically distinct, rapidly proliferating clones does not contribute to the acceleration of repopulation during fractionated irradiation in poorly differentiated FaDu tumors.     

Recovery of peripheral blood cells in irradiated mice pretreated with bacterial extract IRS-19

The effect of antigenic bacterial lysate IRS-19 on the recovery of blood cells was studied in mice injured by a single dose of 7 Gy irradiation. The preirradiation administration of IRS-19 accelerated the recovery of leukocytes, reticulocytes and platelets in peripheral blood. The recovery of leukocytes 9-14 days after irradiation in protected animals was accompanied by a higher level of band forms of granulocytes as well as activated lymphoid and monocytoid cells.     

Effect of gamma-radiation on ultraviolet fluorescence of rat lymphocytes

Changes in the level of the proper UV-fluorescence ( UVF ) of rat blood lymphocytes are considered as a function of radiation dose and time after gamma-irradiation of animals. 24 h following irradiation with a dose of 0.5 Gy the UVF intensity decreased; with doses of 1-8 Gy, the level of cytofluorescence exceeded the control values. The effect of fluorescence at this time was not related to changes in a cell diameter whereas at later times following irradiation part of the effect was related to the growth of cell dimensions.     

Increase in endogenous spleen colonies without recovery of blood cell counts in radioadaptive survival response in C57BL/6 mice

The radioadaptive survival response induced by a conditioning exposure to 0.45 Gy and measured as an increase in 30-day survival after mid-lethal X irradiation was studied in C57BL/6N mice. The acquired radioresistance appeared on day 9 after the conditioning exposure, reached a maximum on days 12-14, and disappeared on day 21. The conditioning exposure 14 days prior to the challenge exposure increased the number of endogenous spleen colonies (CFU-S) on days 12-13 after the exposure to 5 Gy. On day 12 after irradiation, the conditioning exposure also increased the number of endogenous CFU-S to about five times that seen in animals exposed to 4.25-6.75 Gy without preirradiation. The effect of the interval between the preirradiation and the challenge irradiation on the increase in endogenous CFU-S was also examined. A significant increase in endogenous CFU-S was observed when the interval was 14 days, but not 9 days. This result corresponded to the increase in survival observed on day 14 after the challenge irradiation. Radiation-inducted resistance to radiation-induced lethality in mice appears to be closely related to the marked recovery of endogenous CFU-S in the surviving hematopoietic stem cells that acquired radioresistance by preirradiation. Preirradiation enhanced the recovery of the numbers of erythrocytes, leukocytes and thrombocytes very slightly in mice exposed to a sublethal dose of 5 Gy, a dose that does not cause bone marrow death. There appears to be no correlation between the marked increase in endogenous CFU-S and the slight increase or no increase in peripheral blood cells induced by the radioadaptive response. The possible contribution by some factor, such as Il4 or Il11, that has been reported to protect irradiated animals without stimulating hematopoiesis is discussed.     

Evaluation of the expression of damage of the DNA-structural complex of rat thymocytes based on kinetics of alkaline lysis following irradiation

Rotary viscosimeters were used to study the postirradiation destruction of the DNA-structural complex (DSC) of rat thymocyte nuclei exhibited by a change in alkaline denaturation of DSC upon lysis. The S area, limited by the characteristic viscosity values obtained during alkaline lysis of thymocyte nuclei, was used as a characteristic of DSC. Immediately after irradiation the S area changed up to 81-84 per cent at 0.5-1.5 Gy and up to 56-44 per cent at 2-10 Gy. 6 to 24 h following irradiation a change in the profile of alkaline denaturation of DSC was a function of dose and dropped from 100 down to 11 per cent at doses of 0 to 10 Gy. After 2-3 days, the changes in S were also observed but they were not a strict function of dose and were the same with the values obtained immediately after irradiation.     

Repopulation kinetics of rat rhabdomyosarcoma tumors following single and fractionated doses of low-LET and high-LET radiation

Measurements were made of clonogenic cell survival in rat rhabdomyosarcoma tumors as a function of time following in situ irradiation with single or fractionated doses of 225-kVp X rays or with 557-MeV/u neon ions in the distal position of a 4-cm extended-peak ionization region. Single doses of 20 Gy of X rays or 7 Gy of peak neon ions reduced the initial surviving fraction to approximately 0.025 for each modality. Daily fractionated doses (four fractions in 3 days) of either peak neon ions (1.75 Gy per fraction) or X rays (6 Gy per fraction) achieved a cell survival of approximately 0.02-0.03 after the fourth dose of radiation. In the single-dose experiments, significant 5- and 10-fold decreases in the fraction of clonogenic cells were observed between the third and fourth days after irradiation with peak neon ions and X rays, respectively. After the sixth day postirradiation, the residual clonogenic cells exhibited a rapid burst of proliferation leading to doubling times for the surviving cell fractions of approximately 1.5 days. Radiation-induced growth delay was consistent with the cellular repopulation dynamics. In the fractionated-dose experiments with both radiation modalities, a large delayed decrease in cell survival was observed at 1-3 days after completion of the fractionated-dose schedule. Cellular repopulation was consistent with postirradiation tumor volume regression and regrowth for both radiation modalities. The extent of decrease in survival following the four-fraction radiation schedule was approximately two times greater in X-irradiated than in neon-ion-irradiated tumors that produced the same survival level immediately after the fourth dose. Mechanisms underlying the marked reduction in cell survival 3-4 days postirradiation are discussed, including the possible role of a toxic host cell response against the irradiated tumor cells.     

Bone marrow toxicity of total-body irradiation combined with radiosensitizers

The effect of the addition of radiosensitizers to low-dose total-body irradiation was studied. SR2508 (1 g/kg) or misonidazole (0.35 g/kg) was given 30 min prior to single-dose total-body irradiation, delivered at 0.1 Gy/min. Six dogs received either SR2508 or misonidazole and 2 Gy irradiation, and 14 dogs served as controls, receiving no drug and either 2 or 3 Gy of total-body irradiation. All dogs had a decline in their white blood cell and platelet counts and were supported with prophylactic antibiotics and platelet transfusions. High plasma levels of both radiosensitizers were achieved. The degree of cytopenia with 2 Gy total-body irradiation when combined with either radiosensitizer was not significantly greater than that seen with 2 Gy alone, and the neutropenia was significantly less than that seen with 3 Gy alone. The only observed toxicity of the drugs was vomiting, which started shortly after the infusion of SR2508 and before the radiation treatment. A single high-dose infusion of a radiosensitizer combined with total-body irradiation appears to cause a mild increase in bone marrow toxicity but is otherwise well tolerated.