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Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Imaging Approaches to Assessments of Toxicological Oxidative Stress Using Genetically-encoded Fluorogenic Sensors
Published on: February 7, 2018
Evaluation of Genomic Evidence for Oxidative Stress in Experimental Radiation Nephropathy
Eric P Cohen1, Marek Lenarczyk2, Brian L Fish2
1Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Background:
Chronic persistent oxidative stress has been proposed as a mechanism for late radiation injury to normal tissue. Using biochemical, histological, and pharmacological techniques, we have not been able to confirm this hypothesis for late renal radiation injury. Gene expression may be more revealing, especially since the initial effects of radiation are to damage DNA.
Methods:
Gene array studies were done using kidney tissue from irradiated rats, with particular attention to genes pertinent to oxidative stress. The time points were from 1 to 49 days after irradiation. Cellular RNA and mitochondrial DNA were isolated, for gene expression analysis and common deletion testing, respectively.
Results:
For the gene expression studies, and from over 30,000 transcripts, only nine related to oxidative stress had 1.4 fold or greater changes in expression. Mitochondrial DNA showed no changes in the common deletion.
Conclusion:
These studies do not support the hypothesis of chronic oxidative stress as a mechanism for radiation nephropathy.

