Late residual gamma-H2AX foci in murine skin are dose responsive and predict radiosensitivity in vivo

Radiat Res. 2010 Jan;173(1):1-9. doi: 10.1667/RR1851.1.

Abstract

Accurate biodosimetry is needed to estimate radiation doses received in vivo from accidental or unwarranted radiation exposures. We investigated the use of DNA repair foci (e.g. gamma-H2AX) at late times after irradiation in vivo as a biodosimeter of initial ionizing radiation dose. Two radiosensitive strains (SCID and BALB/c) and two radioresistant strains (C57BL/6 and C3H/HeJ) were used to quantify gamma-H2AX foci in a skin tissue microarray after doses of 1 to 10 Gy at early and late times after irradiation (1 and 7 days). Using a 3D quantitative immunofluorescence microscopy analysis, we observed a dose response for gamma-H2AX foci for all strains at 30 min, 24 h and 7 days after irradiation. The numbers of residual foci were significantly different between each of the four strains and reflected the relative radiosensitivity in vivo. In comparing gamma-H2AX focus and micronucleus formation after irradiation, we also observed association between the number of micronuclei and number of foci after 1 and 7 days between radiosensitive and radioresistant strains. We conclude that 3D image analysis of gamma-H2AX in skin can be used to detect relative radiosensitivity based on late residual gamma-H2AX foci. This technique may be a useful biodosimeter to determine dose at times up to 1 week after accidental or catastrophic radiation exposure in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biopsy
  • DNA Repair / radiation effects
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation
  • Environmental Exposure
  • Histones / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Radiation Tolerance*
  • Radiometry
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Skin / cytology
  • Skin / metabolism*
  • Skin / pathology
  • Skin / radiation effects*
  • Species Specificity
  • Terrorism
  • Time Factors
  • Tissue Array Analysis

Substances

  • Histones
  • gamma-H2AX protein, mouse