Enhancement of Radiation- induced Mortality by Friend Leukemia Virus Infection: 2 Role of Radiosensitivity-Related Genes.

Abstract

When C3H mice were exposed to a sublethal dose (3Gy) of irradiation on day 7 after FLV infection, more than 90% of mice died within one month after irradiation. C3Hp53-/- mice exhibited no mortality. On the other hand, C3H Atm-/- mice manifested a significant enhancement of radiation-induced mortality and of radiation sensitivity of hematopoietic tissues. C3H SCID (DNA-PK) mice showed a significant but lesser degree of enhancement of radiation-induced mortality by FLV infection. We have so far failed to see a significant enhancement of radiation-induced hematopoietic injury to explain the enhancement of radiation-induced mortality in C3H SCID mice by FLV infection. The results suggest the significant role of p53 gene in the enhancement of radiation-induced mortality by FLV infection but no significant role of Atm gene. [J Radiat Res 44:406 (2003)]