title: Morphological, biochemical, and molecular changes in endothelial cells after alpha-particle irradiation.
abstract: The response of cultured bovine aortic endothelial (BAE) cells after exposure to alpha-particle radiation from chelated 212Bi has been evaluated. The results suggest that even relatively high doses of alpha-particle radiation from 212Bi (20-72 Gy) cause only minor acute changes in the morphology of BAE cells (light and electron microscopy) under conditions of confluent monolayer growth. Significant morphological changes can be detected in cells that detach from the monolayer, though it is unclear whether these changes represent a genuine response to irradiation or reflect the causes or effects of monolayer detachment with the consequent loss of intercellular biochemical communication. After alpha-particle irradiation (20-40 Gy) angiotensin-converting-enzyme activity was not detectable in the monolayer culture medium but was significantly decreased within the cell monolayer. Neutral-elution-assay data demonstrated that DNA double-strand-break (DSB) damage occurred in these cells and that about 35% of the DSBs were repairable.
authors.affiliation: Joint Center for Radiation Therapy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Speidel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Holmquist
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Kassis
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Humm
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Atcher
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hines
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Macklis
mesh_terms: D000512:Alpha Particles; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004249:DNA Damage; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000378:metabolism; D011829:Radiation Dosage
chemical_list: D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A