Hyperbaric oxygen and basic fibroblast growth factor promote growth of irradiated bone.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of the current experiment is to test for protective effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on bone growth.


METHODS
Control C3H mice received hind leg irradiation at 0, 10, 20, or 30 Gy. HBO-treated groups received radiation 1, 5, or 9 weeks before beginning HBO. The remaining groups began bFGF +/- HBO 1 or 5 weeks after 30 Gy. HBO treatments were given 5 days per week for 4 weeks at 2 ATA for 3 h/day. bFGF was given intravenously at 6 microg twice a week for 4 weeks.


RESULTS
HBO improved bone growth after radiation in the 10 and 20 Gy groups. At 18 weeks control tibia length discrepancy is 0.0, 4.2, 8.2, and 10.7% after 0, 10, 20, and 30 Gy, respectively. HBO beginning in week 1, 5, or 9 following 10 Gy decreased these discrepancies to 2.0% (p < 0.05), 1.8% (p < 0.05), and 2.4% (p < 0.05), respectively. After 20 Gy, HBO decreased these discrepancies to 7.0% (p = ns), 4.9% (p < 0.05), and 3.6% (p < 0.05), respectively. At 30 Gy, HBO alone had no effect on bone shortening. bFGF improved tibia length discrepancy with or without HBO. At 18 weeks length discrepancies were 6.5% (p < 0.05) and 7.3 (p < 0.05), and after bFGF alone were 6.8% (p < 0.05) and 7.3% (p < 0.05) for treatment beginning in week 1 or 5, respectively. Tibial growth at 18 and 33 weeks following radiation were similar.


CONCLUSIONS
Radiation effects on bone growth can be significant reduced by HBO after 10 or 20 Gy, but not after 30 Gy. At 30 Gy bFGF still significantly reduced the degree of bone shortening, but HBO provided no added benefit to bFGF therapy.
Wang
X
X
Radiation Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892-1002, USA.
Ding
I
I
Xie
H
H
Wu
T
T
Wersto
N
N
Huang
K
K
Okunieff
P
P
D000818:Animals; D001846:Bone Development / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation; D007870:Leg Length Inequality / Q000628:therapy; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D013977:Tibia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects
D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2