Joint effects of cigarette smoking and irradiation in pregnant mice and their offspring.
BACKGROUND
We have previously reported that irradiation of mice in utero significantly increased the tumor incidence in the offspring of irradiated mothers. The joint effects of irradiation and cigarette smoking (CS) on tumor incidence and on the process of carcinogenesis were investigated.


METHODS
Pregnant C57Bl/6J female mice were irradiated with a single dose of gamma-ray (1 Gy or 3 Gy) and/or exposed to CS of IR3 non-filtered cigarettes before or during pregnancy, tumors were investigated both with histological and immunohistochemical methods.


RESULTS
Longer exposure (60 days) of the mice to CS before pregnancy and irradiation during pregnancy significantly increased the tumor incidence in the mothers and their offspring. Parallel activation of Caspase-8 and inactivation of Caspase-9 was found.


CONCLUSIONS
Joint exposure of mice to prolonged CS before pregnancy and irradiation during pregnancy significantly increased the tumor incidence both in the mothers and their offspring.
Antal
Sára
S
Radiobiological Foundation, Budapest, Hungary.
Szende
Béla
B
Lengyel
József
J
Hidvégi
Egon J
EJ
D000818:Animals; D053181:Caspase 8 / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005260:Female; D005720:Gamma Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*
D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9