Alterations of immune functions induced by 12C6+ ion irradiation in mice |
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| Authors: | Y. Xie Y. L. Wang Q. M. Zhou R. Qiu Z. G. Yuan |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Radiology, Institute of Modern Physics, the Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou, Gansu province;2. Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, P.R. China |
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| Abstract: | Purpose:?To estimate the biological risks to the immune system of the type of space radiation, 12C6+, encountered by cosmonauts during long-term travel in space.Materials and methods:?The Kun-Ming strain mice were whole-body irradiated by 12C6+ ion with 0, 0.01, 0.05, 0.075, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 0.75, 1 or 2 Gy, at a dose rate of 1 Gy/min. At 35 days after irradiation, the thymus and spleen weights were measured, the natural killer (NK) cells activity of spleen was determined by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)- 2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT), and the interferon-γ (IFN-γ) levels in serum and thymus were detected with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA).Results:?The results showed that the thymus weight, IFN-γ levels in serum and the activity of splenic NK-cells had significantly increased at a dose of 0.05 Gy. With further dose increase, the weight of spleen continued to increase but the weight of thymus, IFN-γ level and NK-cells activity declined.Conclusions:?These results suggest that the dose of 0.05 Gy irradiation has a stimulatory effect on mouse immunity; this effect declined with increasing dose. |
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| Keywords: | 12C6+ heavy ion NK cell activity IFN-γ level thymus spleen mice |
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