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Volume 44 (2003)
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Volume 44, Issue 1
Displaying 1-12 of 12 articles from this issue
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Regular Papers
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PATHIRISSERY UMA DEVI, RAVINDRA KAMATHArticle type: Regular papers
2003 Volume 44 Issue 1 Pages 1-6
Published: 2003
Released on J-STAGE: June 24, 2003
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThe effect of withaferin A, a plant withanolide, alone or in combination with acute and fractionated radiotherapy and/or hyperthermia, was tested on two mouse tumors, B16F1 melanoma and fibrosarcoma, grown in C57BL and Swiss albino mice, respectively. Tumors were exposed locally to 30 or 50 Gy gamma radiation as acute dose, or 5 fractions of 10 Gy. Withaferin A, 40 mg/kg, was injected intraperitoneally, 1h before acute irradiation, or 30 mg/kg before every 10 Gy fraction. Local hyperthermia, 43C for 30 min, followed acute RT or first fraction of 10 Gy. Withaferin A, radiation and hyperthermia, individually and in bimodality treatments, produced no complete response (CR) in melanoma. Some CR were seen in fibrosarcoma, which increased after bimodality treatments. Trimodality treatment synergistically increased CR to 37% in melanoma and to 64% in fibrosarcoma. Fractionated radiotherapy (10 Gy × 5) was more effective (25% CR) than acute dose of 50 Gy (0% CR) on melanoma, while there was no difference between the response of fibrosarcoma to the two regimens. Withaferin A with fractionated radiotherapy synergistically increased the CR of both tumors; hyperthermia further enhanced this effect. Utility of withaferin A in increasing the clinical response of radioresistant tumors to fractionated radiotherapy has to be explored.
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MAYUMI IWAKAWA, SHUHEI NODA, TOSHIE OHTA, CHISA OHIRA, RYONFA LEE, MIY ...Article type: Regular papers
2003 Volume 44 Issue 1 Pages 7-13
Published: 2003
Released on J-STAGE: June 24, 2003
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSPublished reports about skin reactions to radiotherapy, especially among breast-cancer patients, suggest that there are interindividual differences in the normal tissue response, and genetic factors are thought to be involved in this variation. An analysis of murine strain differences may reveal the mechanism of genetic factors in the extent of normal tissue damage from irradiation for several endpoints. The variation in the radiation susceptibility was observed when the skin of mice from strains A/J, C3H/HeMs, C57BL/6J, C.B.17/Icr-scid and C3H-scid was irradiated with a single dose ranging from 10 to 60 Gy, using Cs-137 gamma rays. The active skin reaction of A/J mice lasted for months. C3H/HeMs mice showed dose-dependent skin damage, and consequently recovered to a state of mild damage within 40 days after local irradiation. The time course of the response in C57BL/6J mice was shorter than in A/J mice. The 2 strains of scid mice exhibited severe damage after irradiation at any dose from 20 to 50 Gy, and did not show any dose dependency. The variation between murine strains in macroscopic and histopathological changes in skin during the progression and resolution of damage caused by irradiation suggests an inter-strain variation in the expression of genes involved in injury, apoptosis, repair, and remodeling.
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MOHAMMAD F. KIANI, RAMIN ANSARI, M. WALEED GABERArticle type: Regular papers
2003 Volume 44 Issue 1 Pages 15-21
Published: 2003
Released on J-STAGE: June 24, 2003
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSIonizing radiation exposure significantly alters the structure and function of microvascular networks, which regulate delivery of oxygen to tissue. In this study we use a hamster cremaster muscle model to study changes in microvascular network parameters and use a mathematical model to study the effects of these observed structural and microhemodynamic changes in microvascular networks on oxygen delivery to the tissue. Our experimental observations indicate that in microvascular networks while some parameters are significantly affected by irradiation (e.g. RBC transit time), others remain at the control level (e.g. RBC path length) up to 180 days post-irradiation. The results from our mathematical model indicate that tissue oxygenation patterns are significantly different in irradiated normal tissue as compared to age-matched controls and the differences are apparent as early as 3 days post irradiation. However, oxygen delivery to irradiated tissue was not found to be significantly different from age matched controls at any time between 7 days to 6 months post-irradiation. These findings indicate that microvascular late effects in irradiated normal tissue may be due to factors other than compromised tissue oxygenation.
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TADAAKI BAN-NAI, YASUYUKI MURAMATSUArticle type: Regular papers
2003 Volume 44 Issue 1 Pages 23-30
Published: 2003
Released on J-STAGE: June 24, 2003
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSIn order to obtain soil-to-plant transfer factors (TFs) of radioiodine from volcanic-ash soil to agricultural crops, we carried out radiotracer experiments. The mean values of TFs (on a wet weight basis) of radioiodine from Andosol to edible parts of crops were as follows: water dropwort, 0.24; lettuce, 0.00098; onion, 0.0011; radish, 0.0044; turnip, 0.0013 and eggplant, 0.00010. The mean value of the TFs of radioiodine for edible parts of wheat (on a dry weight basis) was 0.00015. We also studied the distributions of iodine in crops. There was a tendency for the TFs of leaves to be higher than those of tubers, fruits and grains. A very high TF was found for water dropwort, because this plant was cultivated under a waterlogged condition, in which iodine desorbed from soil into soil solution with a drop in the Eh value. The data obtained in this study should be helpful to assess the long-lived 129I (half life: 1.57 × 107 yr) pathway related to the fuel cycle.
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SHIN-KUANG CHEN, WANHUA ANNIE HSIEH, MONG-HSUN TSAI, CHIEN-CHIH CHEN, ...Article type: Regular papers
2003 Volume 44 Issue 1 Pages 31-35
Published: 2003
Released on J-STAGE: June 24, 2003
JOURNAL FREE ACCESS8-Oxoguanine has been shown to be a dominant cause of oxidative DNA damage by oxygen free radicals in eukaryotic cells. The 8-oxoguanine repair-specific enzyme 8-oxoguanine-DNA glycosylase (hOgg1) was recently cloned and was observed to conduct mainly short-patch base-excision repair. It has also been suggested that reactive oxygen species play an important role in the cellular aging process. We explored the association between the hOgg1 enzyme activity in somatic cells of human subjects of various ages and the role of hOgg1326 genetic polymorphism. An 8-oxoguanine-containing 28 mer oligonucleotide was end-labeled with γ-32P ATP and incubated with protein extracts from peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from 78 healthy individuals ranging in age from newborn to 91 years old. The hOgg1 repair activity toward the radiolabelled 8-oxoguanine-containing DNA was determined, and the results indicated a significant age-dependent decrease in the hOgg1 activity in their lymphocytes. Significantly reduced activity was also shown in those with Cysteine/Cysteine genotypes. The genders of the subjects were not shown to be associated. These results provide an important observation regarding the cellular hOgg1 activity in somatic cells during the normal human aging processes.
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HIDEYA YAMAZAKI, TAKEHIRO INOUE, KEN YOSHIDA, YASUO YOSHIOKA, SOUHEI F ...Article type: Regular papers
2003 Volume 44 Issue 1 Pages 37-40
Published: 2003
Released on J-STAGE: June 24, 2003
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSTo examine the compatibility of low dose rate (LDR) with high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, we reviewed 399 patients with early oral tongue cancer (T1-2N0M0) treated solely by brachytherapy at Osaka University Hospital between 1967 and 1999. For patients in the LDR group (n = 341), the treatment sources consisted of Ir-192 pin for 227 patients (1973-1 996; irradiated dose, 61-8 5 Gy; median, 70 Gy), Ra-226 needle for 113 patients (1967-1 986; 55-9 3 Gy; median, 70 Gy). Ra-226 and Ir-192 were combined for one patient. Ir-192 HDR (microSelectron-HDR) was used for 58 patients in the HDR group (1991- present; 48-6 0 Gy; median, 60 Gy). LDR implantations were performed via oral and HDR via a submental/submandibular approach. The dose rates at the reference point for the LDR group were 0.30 to 0.8 Gy/h, and for the HDR group 1.0 to 3.4 Gy/min. The patients in the HDR group received a total dose of 48- 60 Gy (8-1 0 fractions) during one week. Two fractions were administered per day (at least a 6-h interval). The 3- and 5-year local control rates for patients in the LDR group were 85% and 80%, respectively, and those in the HDR group were both 84% . HDR brachytherapy showed the same lymph-node control rate as did LDR brachytherapy (67% at 5 years). HDR brachytherapy achieved the same locoregional result as did LDR brachytherapy. A converting factor of 0.86 is applicable for HDR in the treatment of early oral tongue cancer.
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JUNICHI YASUMOTO, YUICHIRO IMAI, AKIHISA TAKAHASHI, KEN OHNISHI, KAZUE ...Article type: Regular papers
2003 Volume 44 Issue 1 Pages 41-45
Published: 2003
Released on J-STAGE: June 24, 2003
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSMutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene have recently been reported to have an impact on clinical trials of several human tumors, including head and neck cancers. To confirm the p53-dependence of X-ray induced apoptosis, we used two cell lines derived from a human squamous cell carcinoma (SAS) with identical genetic backgrounds, except for the p53 gene, which are SAS/mp53 cells with mp53 and SAS/neo cells with wtp53. We previously reported that the radiosensitivity, Caspase-3 activity and apoptosis frequency in SAS/neo cells were clearly high as compared with SAS/mp53 cells. In order to elucidate the expression of apoptosis-related genes after irradiation, we used cDNA array analysis. The expressions of apoptosis-inductive genes, such as DFF40, Caspase-3, Caspase-8, Caspase-9, Caspase-10 and CRADD, were increased by X-ray irradiation in SAS cells with wtp53, but not in SAS cells expressing mp53. These results suggest that the X-ray sensitivity of wtp53 cells may come from the expression of these apoptosis-related genes.
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KAYO YOSHIDA, SHU-HEI YOSHIDA, CHIKASHI SHIMODA, TAKASHI MORITAArticle type: Regular papers
2003 Volume 44 Issue 1 Pages 47-51
Published: 2003
Released on J-STAGE: June 24, 2003
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThe mouse histone H2AX (H2AX) has unique C-terminal Ser residues, which are phosphorylated in response to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by ionizing radiation, suggesting that it plays a role in the maintenance of genomic stability. Here, we show that the H2AX protein was detected in most cells in various tissues, and was abundant in the S phase of the cell cycle. Following X-ray irradiation, H2AX was phosphorylated (g-H2AX) in the thymus, small intestine and testis. However, H2AX in epithelial cells in the villi of the small intestine were not strongly phospherylated, even after X-irradiation. Thus, H2AX was expressed in almost all cells. However, the cells that expressed H2AX were not always phosphorylated by X-irradiation, suggesting a different mechanism of kination in those cells.
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YOSHIKAZU NISHIMURA, HEE-SUN KIM, NOBUO IKOTA, HIROMI ARIMA, HEE-SEUNG ...Article type: Regular papers
2003 Volume 44 Issue 1 Pages 53-58
Published: 2003
Released on J-STAGE: June 24, 2003
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThe radioprotective effect of chitosan was studied in mice following whole-body X-ray irradiation. C3H/He mice were exposed to 7 Gy, and their survival rates were examined. The survival rates of chitosan- diet mice were about 20% higher than those of mice on a standard diet, and the rates dropped sharply to a plateau at day 10 after X-ray irradiation. The chitosan-diet mice had an increased weight ratio of spleen to body within the experimental period. The leukocyte, thrombocyte, and erythrocyte counts as well as the hematocrit and hemoglobin levels were recovered significantly and more rapidly in the chitosan-diet mice than the standard-diet mice at day 14 after irradiation. The scavenging abilities of chitosan were evaluated by the ESR spin-trapping method. These observations suggested that chitosan led to hematopoetic activation and leukocytogenesis in mice after sub-lethal dose irradiation, and that the biological response might be caused by radical trapping or scavenging.
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LJILJANA SEVALJEVIC, SILVA DOBRIC, DESANKA BOGOJEVIC, MIODRAG PETROVIC ...Article type: Regular papers
2003 Volume 44 Issue 1 Pages 59-67
Published: 2003
Released on J-STAGE: June 24, 2003
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThis work was aimed at the radioprotective efficacy of turpentine oil (TO), α2-Macroglobulin (α2-M), Amifostine (Ami) and/or dexamethasone (Dex). These agents were administrated, alone or in combination, prior to irradiation of rats with 6.7 Gy (LD50/30). The survival was recorded daily for 4 weeks after irradiation and body weight, peripheral leukocytes and thrombocytes were measured. The plasma concentration of α2-M and other acute phase proteins were determined by crossed immunoelectrophoresis. All rats receiving α2-M and Ami alone or in combination survived the radiation injury, whereas the rate of survival of TO-treated rats was 90%. Radiation and therapy-induced changes in the expression of acute phase protein genes were atypical for the acute phase reaction. Dex alone was lethal for 45% and 55% of control and irradiated rats, respectively. Pretreatment with 1mg Dex reduced radioprotective efficacy of TO and Ami to 30% and 40%, respectively. Given together TO and Ami provided 70% protection to rats receiving Dex. The TO and α2-M enhanced the rate of survival from 50% to 90% and 100%, respectively. In the presence of 1mg Dex the TO-induced radioprotectors and Ami exhibited radiosensitizing rather than radioprotecting activities.
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WEI ZHANG, CHUNYAN WANG, DEQING CHEN, MASAKO MINAMIHISAMATSU, HIROSHIG ...Article type: Regular papers
2003 Volume 44 Issue 1 Pages 69-74
Published: 2003
Released on J-STAGE: June 24, 2003
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSCytogenetic investigation of stable type aberrations (translocations) was performed with our improved methods in 6 children and 15 elderly persons in a high background radiation area (HBRA) in China, and in 8 children and 11 elderly persons in a control area. The total numbers of cells analyzed in elderly persons were 68,297 in HBRA and 35,378 in controls and in children were 45,535 in HBRA and 56,198 in controls. On average 5138 cells per subject were analyzed. The variation in the frequencies of translocations per 1000 cells was small in children while it was large in elderly persons. No significant difference was found in the frequencies between HBRA and control (P > 0.05, Mann-Whitney U test). On the other hand, correlation between age and translocation frequencies was significant at the 1% level (rs = 0.658 with 37DF, Spearman rank correlation test). The contribution of an elevated level of natural radiation in HBRA in China to the induction of stable type chromosome aberrations does not have a significant effect compared with the contribution of chemical mutagens and/or metabolic factors. The present study suggests that the probability of the risk of causing malignant and/or congenital diseases by the increased amount of radiation is imperceptible in HBRA where the level of natural radiation is 3 to 5 times higher than that in the control area.
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MANAMI MONOBE, SACHIKO KOIKE, AKIKO UZAWA, KOICHI ANDOArticle type: Regular papers
2003 Volume 44 Issue 1 Pages 75-80
Published: 2003
Released on J-STAGE: June 24, 2003
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSWe have investigated the tissue specificity of radioprotection by beer, which was previously found for human lymphocytes. C3H/He female mice, aged 14 weeks, received an oral administration of beer, ethanol or saline at a dose of 1 ml/mouse 30 min before whole-body irradiation with 137Cs γ rays or 50 keV/μm carbon ions. The dicentrics of chromosome aberrations in spleen cells were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced by beer and ethanol-administration for γ-ray irradiation, but not for carbon-ion irradiation. The number of jejunal crypts plotted against the dose showed that both beer and ethanol significantly increased D0 (slope of a dose-survival curve) for γ rays and carbon ions as well. Beer administration significantly (p < 0.05) increased LD50/30 (radiation dose required to kill 50% of mice within 30 days) for γ rays and carbon ions. Ethanol-administration also significantly (p < 0.05) increased the LD50/30 value for γ rays, but not for carbon ions. It is concluded that beer administration reduces the radiation injury caused by photons and carbon ions, depending on the tissue type. Radioprotection by beer administration is not solely due to OH radical-scavenging action by the ethanol contained in beer.
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