Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 1, 2026

Production and Detection of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in Cancers
Published on: November 21, 2011
Role of antioxidant enzymes in radiosensitivity of human blood cells
S B Pajović1, G Joksić, J Kasapović
1Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Endocrinology, Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences, Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
Abstract:
The marked variability in radiation response among individuals of the same age group prompted us to investigate the role of antioxidative enzyme activity. Micronuclei (MN) and enzyme assays were performed on blood samples of healthy male volunteers. The procedure consisted of micronucleus analysis and measurement of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in harvested blood samples irradiated in vitro with 2 Gy gamma-rays and in unirradiated control samples for each individual. We found that the yield of radiation-induced micronuclei was in the range of 112 to 378 micronuclei per 1000 binucleated cells. The activity of cytosol superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) was reduced, whereas the activity of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) was markedly elevated in the blood samples harvested in lymphocyte cultures after irradiation. The analysis of our results showed that MnSOD plays the most important role in radiation-induced cellular damage. The results of this investigation showed that measurement of micronuclei and the activities of SOD in harvested human blood cells can serve as a rapid predictive assay of radiosensitivity in a clinical setting.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Electron Transport Chain: Complex I and II
ROS generation is regulated and maintained at moderate levels necessary...
Nucleotide Excision Repair
Cells are regularly exposed to mutagens—factors in the environment that can damage DNA and generate mutations. UV radiation is one of the most common mutagens and is estimated to introduce a significant number of changes in DNA. These include bends or kinks in the structure, which can block DNA replication or transcription. If these errors are not fixed, the damage can cause mutations, which in turn can result in cancer or disease depending on which sequences are...
Bioactivation and Tissue Toxicity
Oxygen Requirements and Growth Patterns
Other Unique Bacteria

