The biological action of low-level radiation

On the basis of their own data and the literature the authors have analyzed the mechanism of biological action of low-level radiation on cells. In studying the harmful effect of gamma-radiation (10-40 cGy) on HeLa cells it was shown that damages occurred in 12 postirradiation generations. Analysis of cell distribution within the colonies has demonstrated that the share of colonies with low cell content and the number of giant cell increase. These data indicate that low-level radiation causes reproductive cell death that can occur not immediately but in later generations.     

Dynorphin A [1-17] induces "reward" in rats in the place conditioning paradigm

Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of dynorphin A [1-17] induced significant place preference conditioning in male, Sprague-Dawley rats. Place preferences were induced by 2.3 and 3.5 nmole, but not 1.2 nmole of dynorphin A. Co-administration of naloxone, 27.5 nmole but not 5.5 nmole, antagonized the reward response induced by 2.3 nmole of dynorphin A. Leu-enkephalin, 5 or 25 nmole, and dynorphin A [2-17], 2.3 or 3.5 nmole, had no effect in the place conditioning paradigm.     

The effect of administering corticoliberin into the striatum on the open-field and shuttle-box behaviors of KHA and KLA strain rats]

The effects of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) injected into the dorsal neostriatum on the open-field and shuttle-box behavior were studied in rats with high (Koltushi high avoidance, KHA) and low (Koltushi low avoidance, KLA) capability for avoidance learning. The effects of this hormone on the behavior of these rat strains were different. In KLA rats with passive strategy of behavior the CRH injection led to a rapid locomotor activation in the open field, while the rats with active behavioral strategy (KHA) reacted to the injection by a significant decrease in locomotion and change for the passive mode of behavior. The same CRH effects on locomotion were obtained in the shuttle-box experiments. Moreover, in the KLA rats the neurohormone injection resulted in an improvement of avoidance learning in contrast to the KHA rats, in which CRH substantially impaired avoidance learning. The obtained evidence is discussed in terms of the important role of striatal CRH in the choice of behavioral strategy in stress.     

Density-dependent inhibitory effect of transforming growth factor-β on human fibroblasts involves the down-regulation of platelet-derived growth factor α-receptors

We have previously found that transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) inhibits the mitogenic activity of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in cultures of human neonatal fibroblasts in a density-dependent fashion. In the present investigation we determined the effect of TGF-β1 on the PDGF α-receptor, which binds all PDGF isoforms, as well as on the β-receptor, which binds only PDGF-BB with high affinity. We found that the inhibitory effect of TGF-β1 on PDGF-AA-induced mitogenesis was density-dependent; when dense cell cultures were preincubated with TGF-β1, there was an complete inhibition of ³H-thymidine incorporation, whereas the effect was less in sparse cultures. A similar density-dependent effect of TGF-β1 was seen in PDGF-BB treated cells, although less pronounced. The binding of ¹²⁵I-labeled PDGF-AA and PDGF-BB to the α-receptor was significantly reduced after treatment with TGF-β1 in dense cultures, whereas the sparse cultures were less affected. A decrease of α-receptor mRNA was also seen. The levels of β-receptor protein and mRNA were unaffected. We conclude that the growth inhibitory effect of TGF-β1 is cell density-dependent and involves down-regulation of PDGF α-receptors. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Thermally Enhanced Radiosensitivity of Cultured Chinese Hamster Cells

X-IRRADIATION of mammalian cells in culture yields a survival curve of the threshold type (for review see ref. 1). It isjnter-esting to ask how one can enhance the radiation response by small changes of the physical environment of the cells, as can be done chemically, for example, by incorporation of 5-bromo-deoxyuridine into DNA^1,2. Elevation of the temperature is a likely prospect for enhancement of radiosensitivity for the following reasons. It is known that proteins are heat labile and that temperature sensitive mutants of bacteria and phage can be obtained for many different enzymes³ which are operative at 37° C but not at 42° or 43°C. For example⁴, DNA polymerase is reversibly temperature sensitive; it is rendered inoperative above 42°C, but will be functional again when the temperature is lowered. It is not unreasonable to expect that temperature sensitive mutations for many enzymes occur frequently and that the use of temperatures somewhat higher than the normal range at which the cells grow might disclose sensitivities for specific enzymes in normal cells of higher organisms.