title: Whole mouse blood microRNA as biomarkers for exposure to γ-rays and (56)Fe ion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Biomarkers of ionising radiation exposure are useful in a variety of scenarios, such as medical diagnostic imaging, occupational exposures, and spaceflight. This study investigates to what extent microRNA (miRNA) expression signatures in mouse peripheral blood can be used as biomarkers for exposures to radiation with low and high linear energy transfers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mice were irradiated with doses of 0.5, 1.5, or 5.0 Gy γ-rays (dose rate of 0.0136 Gy/s) or with doses of 0.1 or 0.5 Gy (56)Fe ions (dose rate of 0.00208 Gy/s). Total RNA was isolated from whole blood at 6 h or 24 h after irradiation. Three animals per irradiation condition were used. Differentially expressed miRNA were determined by means of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  miRNA expression signatures were radiation type-specific and dose- and time-dependent. The differentially expressed miRNA were expressed in either one condition (71%) or multiple conditions (29%). Classifiers based on the differentially expressed miRNA predicted radiation type or dose with accuracies between 75% and 100%. Gene-ontology analyses show that miRNA induced by irradiation are involved in the control of several biological processes, such as mRNA transcription regulation, nucleic-acid metabolism, and development.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  miRNA signatures induced by ionising radiation in mouse blood are radiation type- and radiation dose-specific. These findings underline the complexity of the radiation response and the importance of miRNA in it.
authors.affiliation: Center for Radiological Research, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Templin
authors.forename: Sally A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Amundson
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.forename: Lubomir B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Smilenov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005720:Gamma Rays; D020450:Heavy Ions; D007501:Iron; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D035683:MicroRNAs; D007501:Iron