X-ray exposure induces apoptosis of some proliferative epidermal cells following traumatic spinal cord injury in adult rats.
We investigated whether X-ray radiation induced apoptosis of the proliferative ependymal cells (ECs) in adult rats with spinal cord injury (SCI) and the effect of X-ray radiation on the proliferative activities of ECs. A rat model with SCI was developed and used to determine the proliferation and apoptosis of ECs in the spinal cords after X-ray exposure. TUNEL assay and BrdU incorporation were used to detect apoptosis and proliferation respectively. We found that there were few TUNEL-positive cells in proliferative ependymal zone (EZ) after SCI except at the epicenter, and approximately half of the irradiated ECs became TUNEL-positive. However, these radiated ECs did not lose their proliferative activity until 1 week later and started to decrease rapidly after 1 week. The observation suggested that only part of ECs were sensitive to radiation and the nonsensitive cells continued their mitosis process. These findings indicated that X-ray exposure of the rats with SCI in early stage induced apoptosis of the proliferative ECs and partially inhibited their proliferative activities.
Wang
Xu
X
Department of Orthopaedics, the Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China.
Sun
Zhengyi
Z
Wang
Jing
J
Nan
Guoxin
G
Ma
Yanchao
Y
Wang
Shuanke
S
Xia
Yayi
Y
Zhang
Youcheng
Y
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004805:Ependyma / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D005260:Female; D005911:Gliosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014965:X-Rays
D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine