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Updated: Feb 11, 2026

An Automated Microscopic Scoring Method for the γ-H2AX Foci Assay in Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes
Published on: December 25, 2021
Hypothermia modulates the DNA damage response to ionizing radiation in human peripheral blood lymphocytes
Halina Lisowska1, Lei Cheng2, Alice Sollazzo2
1a Department of Radiobiology and Immunology , Institute of Biology, Jan Kochanowski University , Kielce , Poland.
Purpose:
Low temperature at exposure has been shown to act in a radioprotective manner at the level of cytogenetic damage. It was suggested to be due to an effective transformation of DNA damage to chromosomal damage at low temperature. The purpose of the study was to analyze the kinetics of aberration formation during the first hours after exposing human peripheral blood lymphocytes to ionizing radiation at 0.8 °C and 37 °C.
Materials And Methods:
To this end, we applied the technique of premature chromosome condensation. In addition, DNA damage response was analyzed by measuring the levels of phosphorylated DNA damage responsive proteins ATM, DNA-PK and p53 and mRNA levels of the radiation-responsive genes BBC3, FDXR, GADD45A, XPC, MDM2 and CDKN1A.
Results:
A consistently lower frequency of chromosomal breaks was observed in cells exposed at 0.8 °C as compared to 37 °C already after 30 minutes postexposure. This effect was accompanied by elevated levels of phosphorylated ATM and DNA-PK proteins and a reduced immediate level of phosphorylated p53 and of the responsive genes.
Conclusions:
Low temperature at exposure appears to promote DNA repair leading to reduced transformation of DNA damage to chromosomal aberrations.
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