No Significant Endothelial Apoptosis in the Radiation-Induced Gastrointestinal Syndrome

Journal Article · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 2007 · International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2006.12.069· OSTI ID:20951634

Schuller, Bradley W ^[1]; Rogers, Arlin B ^[2]; Cormier, Kathleen S ^[2]; Riley, Kent J ^[3]; Binns, Peter J ^[3]; Julius, Richard ^[4]; Hawthorne, M Frederick ^[4]; Coderre, Jeffrey A ^[1]

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1. Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States)
2. Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States)
3. Nuclear Reactor Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States)
4. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

Purpose: This report addresses the incidence of vascular endothelial cell apoptosis in the mouse small intestine in relation to the radiation-induced gastrointestinal (GI) syndrome. Methods and Materials: Nonanesthetized mice received whole-body irradiation at doses above and below the threshold for death from the GI syndrome with 250 kVp X-rays, {sup 137}Cs gamma rays, epithermal neutrons alone, or a unique approach for selective vascular irradiation using epithermal neutrons in combination with boronated liposomes that are restricted to the blood. Both terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining for apoptosis and dual-fluorescence staining for apoptosis and endothelial cells were carried out in jejunal cross-sections at 4 h postirradiation. Results: Most apoptotic cells were in the crypt epithelium. The number of TUNEL-positive nuclei per villus was low (1.62 {+-} 0.03, mean {+-} SEM) for all irradiation modalities and showed no dose-response as a function of blood vessel dose, even as the dose crossed the threshold for death from the GI syndrome. Dual-fluorescence staining for apoptosis and endothelial cells verified the TUNEL results and identified the apoptotic nuclei in the villi as CD45-positive leukocytes. Conclusion: These data do not support the hypothesis that vascular endothelial cell apoptosis is the cause of the GI syndrome.

• OSTI ID: 20951634
• Journal Information: International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics, Journal Name: International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 68; ISSN IOBPD3; ISSN 0360-3016
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
APOPTOSIS
BIOTIN
BLOOD VESSELS
CESIUM 137
DEATH
ENDOTHELIUM
EPITHELIUM
EPITHERMAL NEUTRONS
FLUORESCENCE
GAMMA RADIATION
LEUKOCYTES
LIPOSOMES
MICE
RADIATION DOSES
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SMALL INTESTINE
WHOLE-BODY IRRADIATION
X RADIATION