Short and long-term effects on the thyroid proteome after 131I exposure

131I is recognised, both for its significance in nuclear medicine, and for its association with a rise in paediatric but not adult thyroid cancer cases following the Chornobyl accident. However, the detailed radiobiological mechanisms underlying 131I effects on the thyroid remain unknown to date. In the present study, 1 kBq or 100 kBq 131I was administered to mice that were euthanised after 48 h, 3 weeks or 6 months. Thyroid glands were surgically removed, and proteins were extracted and analysed by tandem mass spectrometry. On a group-level, the results showed few alterations in protein abundance, mainly linked to RNA metabolism and DNA damage response. However, individual analysis of protein abundance changes in each animal showed distinct findings suggesting inhibited proliferation in a few individuals across various exposure levels and time points. Future studies should involve larger animal groups to better assess the frequency and variability of proteomic radiation responses.