title: Effect of aging on UVC-induced apoptosis of rat splenocytes.
abstract: UVC-induced apoptotic symptoms such as morphological changes, DNA fragmentation, Bcl-2 and Bax protein expression were examined in primary splenocyte cultures from young (3 months) and old (24 months) rats. The activities of AP-1 and CRE transcription factors in UVC-irradiated splenocytes were also assessed. At 24 h after UVC irradiation 40% of cells derived from young rats were found to be apoptotic, which was twice as much as in splenocytes from old rats. Apoptosis in cells from old rats did not give typical symptoms like a "DNA ladder" and Bcl-2 protein downregulation, in contrast to splenocytes from young rats. No AP-1 transcription factor activity was found in UVC-irradiated splenocytes from old animals and only a trace activity in splenocytes from young animals. This indicates that, UVC-induced apoptosis in rat splenocytes is practically AP-1 independent and that cells from old rats are less sensitive to UVC irradiation than splenocytes from young rats.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Bases of Aging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warszawa, Poland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Radziszewska
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Piwocka
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bielak-Zmijewska
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skierski
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sikora
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000528:radiation effects*; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013154:Spleen / Q000254:growth & development*; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
chemical_list: C494828:Bax protein, rat; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein