Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 9, 2025
11:24
Measuring DNA Damage and Repair in Mouse Splenocytes After Chronic In Vivo Exposure to Very Low Doses of Beta- and Gamma-Radiation
Published on: July 3, 2015
11.4K
Dose and Dose-Rate Effects in a Mouse Model of Internal Exposure to 137Cs. Part 1: Global Transcriptomic Responses in
Shanaz A Ghandhi1, Chao Sima2, Waylon M Weber3
1Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032.
Radiation Research
|September 15, 2020
Summary
Internal cesium-137 chloride (137CsCl) exposure in mice revealed dose-rate-dependent gene expression changes in blood cells. This study characterizes the biological impact of internal radiation, crucial for understanding nuclear event aftermath.
Area of Science:
- Radiation Biology
- Toxicology
- Genomics
Background:
- Internal radionuclide contamination poses significant health risks following radiation accidents or malicious nuclear events.
- Cesium-137 (137Cs) is a common radionuclide of concern in such scenarios.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the biological effects of internal 137CsCl contamination in mice.
- To characterize dose-rate-dependent and independent gene expression changes in blood over time.
Main Methods:
- Male C57BL/6 mice were injected with varying activities of 137CsCl to achieve different cumulative doses and dose rates over 14 days.
- Whole blood samples were collected at multiple time points (days 2, 3, 5, 7, 14).
- Gene expression profiling was performed using Agilent Mouse Whole Genome microarrays.
Main Results:
- Identified both dose-rate-dependent and independent gene expression patterns in response to 137CsCl.
- Observed a rapid, persistent immune response and B cell depletion, indicative of chronic low-dose-rate irradiation effects.
- Noted activation of pathways related to platelet aggregation and TP53 signaling, though with temporal variability.
Conclusions:
- Gene expression profiling provides insight into the dynamic in vivo response to internal radiation.
- TP53 signaling may play a central role upstream of diverse transcriptional responses.
- Understanding blood cell responses to internal contamination is vital for managing nuclear events.
Related Concept Videos
02:59Biological Effects of Radiation
17.2K
All radioactive nuclides emit high-energy particles or electromagnetic waves. When this radiation encounters living cells, it can cause heating, break chemical bonds, or ionize molecules. The most serious biological damage results when these radioactive emissions fragment or ionize molecules. For example, α and β particles emitted from nuclear decay reactions possess much higher energies than ordinary chemical bond energies. When these particles strike and penetrate matter, they...
17.2K
01:03Dose-Response Relationship: Overview
4.5K
Agonists can bind with and activate receptors, resulting in the formation of drug-receptor complexes. Once formed, these complexes catalyze many biochemical processes at the cellular level and subsequently induce a pharmacologic response. The degree of response is directly proportional to the fraction of activated receptors, which in turn, depends on the concentration of the drug at the receptor site as well as the sensitivity of the receptor. An increase in the administered dose contributes to...
4.5K