Effects of low-dose X-ray irradiation on activated macrophages and their possible signal pathways

Low-dose irradiation (LDI) has been used in clinics to treat human diseases, including chronic inflammation. This study assessed the effects of LDI on the inflammatory response of activated mouse primary peritoneal macrophages, and the underlying signal pathways. Primary peritoneal macrophages were isolated from mice and then incubated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-coated Ti microparticles (Ti-positive control) with or without brief exposure to LDI (X-ray, 0.5 Gy) 1 h later (Ti-LDI group) or left untreated in culture medium (Ti-negative control). The macrophages were then subjected to qRT-PCR, Western blot, cell viability CCK-8 assay, and ELISA. qRT-PCR analysis revealed the Ti-LDI group expressed significantly lower levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α mRNA than those of the Ti-positive control group, while the ELISA data showed that Ti-LDI group had significantly lower secretion of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α proteins. The most significant reduction associated with LDI was the secretion TNF-α protein, which barely increased from 13 to 25 h after treatment. Western blot data demonstrated that phosphorylation of p65 and ERK was much lower in the Ti-LDI group than in the controls. The data from the current study suggests that LDI of activated mouse macrophages was associated with significantly lower inflammation responses, compared with non-exposed activated macrophages, which was possibly through inhibition of the NF-κB and ERK pathways.