title: Oxidative stress in cells exposed to low levels of ionizing radiation.
abstract: The ability of medium from gamma-irradiated cells to induce early events in the apoptotic cascade, such as the mobilization of intracellular calcium, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and increased levels of reactive oxygen species, in unirradiated cells was investigated. Medium from irradiated human keratinocytes was harvested and transferred to unirradiated keratinocytes. Intracellular calcium levels, mitochondrial membrane potential and the level of reactive oxygen species were all monitored for a period of 24 h following medium transfer. Rapid calcium fluxes (within 30 s), loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and increases in reactive oxygen species (from 6 h after medium transfer) were observed. There was no significant difference between the effects of medium generated by cells irradiated at 0.5 Gy or 5 Gy. The data suggest that a signal that leads to apoptosis is released from cells undergoing radiation-induced oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Radiation and Environmental Science Centre, Dublin Institute of Technology, Kevin St, Dublin 8, Ireland. fiona.lyng@dit.ie
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Lyng
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Seymour
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mothersill
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000528:radiation effects; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000528:radiation effects; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000528:radiation effects*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D002118:Calcium