title: pH changes in Chinese hamster cells after gamma-irradiation.
abstract: Intracellular pH (pHin) changes after gamma-irradiation of Chinese hamster fibroblasts have been studied by a fluorescence method using the ratio of fluorescence intensities after excitation at 488 and 458 nm and measurement at emission wavelength of 515 nm. Irradiation with doses inducing reproductive death (2.5-20 Gy) causes a pHin shift towards the alkaline region by 0.4-0.5 pH units, but this shift is transient. Irradiation with a 500 Gy dose, inducing interphase death, causes a more pronounced (pHin greater than or equal to 8.0) alkalization of the intracellular medium which is retained for more than 1.5 hours post-irradiation. It is proposed that the observed alkalization of the internal medium of irradiated cells is possibly due to a change in the functional state of mitochondria. These changes are probably one of the causes of interphase cell death after irradiation with high doses.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes