Immune potentiation after fractionated exposure to very low doses of ionizing radiation and/or caloric restriction in autoimmune-prone and normal C57Bl/6 mice

Journal Article · Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Clinical Immunology and Immunopathology; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0090-1229(90)90129-E· OSTI ID:6748703

James, S J; Enger, S M; Peterson, W J; Makinodan, T ^[1]

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1. VA Medical Center, West Los Angeles, CA (USA)

Very low doses of ionizing radiation can enhance immune responsiveness and extend life span in normal mice. Total lymphoid irradiation at relatively high doses of radiation can retard autoimmune disease in genetically susceptible mice, but may impair immune function. In order to determine whether fractionated low dose exposure would enhance immune response and retard lymphadenopathy in autoimmune-prone mice, groups of C57B1/6 lpr/lpr mice were sham irradiated, exposed 5 days/week for 4 weeks to 0.04 Gy/day, or to 0.1 Gy/day. After the radiation protocol, the mice were evaluated for splenic T cell proliferative capacity, T cell subset distribution, and total spleen cell numbers. The independent and additive effect of caloric restriction was additionally assessed since this intervention has been shown to increase immune responsiveness and retard disease progression in autoimmune-prone mice. The congenic C57B1/6 +/+ immunologically normal strain was evaluated in parallel as congenic control. The results indicated that mitogen-stimulated proliferation was up-regulated in both strains of mice after exposure to 0.04 Gy/day. The proliferative capacity was additively enhanced when radiation at this dose level was combined with caloric restriction. Exposure to 0.1 Gy/day resulted in further augmentation of proliferative response in the lpr/lpr mice, but was depressive in the +/+ mice. Although the proportions of the various T cell subpopulations were altered in both strains after exposure to LDR, the specific subset alterations were different within each strain. Additional experiments were subsequently performed to assess whether the thymus is required for LDR-induced immune potentiation. Thymectomy completely abrogated the LDR effect in the +/+ mice, suggesting that thymic processing and/or trafficking is adaptively altered with LDR in this strain.

• OSTI ID: 6748703
• Journal Information: Clinical Immunology and Immunopathology; (USA), Journal Name: Clinical Immunology and Immunopathology; (USA) Vol. 55:3; ISSN CLIIA; ISSN 0090-1229
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AGGLUTININS
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
ANTIBODIES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
CALORIFIC VALUE
CARBOHYDRATES
CELL PROLIFERATION
COMBUSTION PROPERTIES
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
DISEASES
DOSES
FRACTIONATED IRRADIATION
HEMAGGLUTININS
IMMUNE SYSTEM DISEASES
IMMUNITY
IRRADIATION
LEUKOCYTES
LOW DOSE IRRADIATION
LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
LYMPHOCYTES
MAMMALS
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
MICE
MITOGENS
MUCOPROTEINS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PHYTOHEMAGGLUTININ
POLYSACCHARIDES
PROTEINS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOINDUCTION
RADIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
RETICULOENDOTHELIAL SYSTEM
RODENTS
SACCHARIDES
SOMATIC CELLS
SPLEEN
SURGERY
THERAPY
THYMECTOMY
THYMUS
TISSUES
VERTEBRATES