Functional consequences of radiation-induced oxidative stress in cultured neural stem cells and the brain exposed to charged particle irradiation.

AIMS: Redox homeostasis is critical in regulating the fate and function of multipotent cells in the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we investigated whether low dose charged particle irradiation could elicit oxidative stress in neural stem and precursor cells and whether radiation-induced changes in redox metabolism would coincide with cognitive impairment. RESULTS: Low doses (<1 Gy) of charged particles caused an acute and persistent oxidative stress. Early after (<1 week) irradiation, increased levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species were generally dose responsive, but were less dependent on dose weeks to months thereafter. Exposure to ion fluences resulting in less than one ion traversal per cell was sufficient to elicit radiation-induced oxidative stress. Whole body irradiation triggered a compensatory response in the rodent brain that led to a significant increase in antioxidant capacity 2 weeks following exposure, before returning to background levels at week 4. Low dose irradiation was also found to significantly impair novel object recognition in mice 2 and 12 weeks following irradiation. INNOVATION: Data provide evidence that acute exposure of neural stem cells and the CNS to very low doses and fluences of charged particles can elicit a persisting oxidative stress lasting weeks to months that is associated with impaired cognition. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to low doses of charged particles causes a persistent oxidative stress and cognitive impairment over protracted times. Data suggest that astronauts subjected to space radiation may develop a heightened risk for mission critical performance decrements in space, along with a risk of developing long-term neurocognitive sequelae.

The radiosensitivity of satellite cells: cell cycle regulation, apoptosis and oxidative stress.

Skeletal muscles are the organ of movement, and their growth, regeneration and maintenance are dependent in large part on a population of myogenic stem cells known as satellite cells. Skeletal muscles and these resident myogenic stem cells (i.e., satellite cells) are commonly exposed to significant doses of radiation during diagnostic procedures and/or during the radiotherapeutic management of cancer. The main objective of this study was to examine the effects of clinically relevant doses of γ radiation on satellite cell survival and proliferation, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, DNA double-strand break repair, oxidative stress and NO production. Overall, our findings demonstrate that doses of γ radiation ≥5 Gy reduced satellite cell numbers by at least 70% due in part to elevated apoptosis and the inhibition of cell cycle progression. Radiation was also found to cause a significant and persistent increase in the level of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Interestingly, and within this backdrop of elevated oxidative stress, similar doses were found to produce substantial reductions in the levels of nitric oxide (NO). Proliferation of satellite cells has been shown to depend in part on the production of NO, and our findings give rise to the possibility that radiation-induced reductions in NO levels may provide a mechanism for the inhibition of satellite cell proliferation in vitro and possibly the regrowth of skeletal muscle exposed during clinical irradiation procedures.

Histone H2AX phosphorylation in response to changes in chromatin structure induced by altered osmolarity.

DNA strand breaks trigger marked phosphorylation of histone H2AX (i.e. gamma-H2AX). While DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) provide a strong stimulus for this event, the accompanying structural alterations in chromatin may represent the actual signal that elicits gamma-H2AX. Our data show that changes in chromatin structure are sufficient to elicit extensive gamma-H2AX formation in the relative absence of DNA strand breaks. Cells subjected to hypotonic (0.05 M) treatment exhibit gamma-H2AX levels that are equivalent to those found after the induction of 80-200 DNA DSBs (i.e. 2-5 Gy). Despite this significant increase in phosphorylation, cell survival remains relatively unaffected (<10% cytotoxicity), and there is no significant increase in apoptosis. Nuclear staining profiles indicate that gamma-H2AX-positive cells induced under altered tonicity exhibit variable levels of staining, ranging from uniform pan staining to discrete punctate foci more characteristic of DNA strand breakage. The capability to induce significant gamma-H2AX formation under altered tonicity in the relative absence of DNA strand breaks suggests that this histone modification evolved in response to changes in chromatin structure.