title: Low-dose-rate radiation exposure leads to testicular damage with decreases in DNMT1 and HDAC1 in the murine testis.
abstract: This study examined the effects of continuous low-dose-rate radiation exposure (3.49 mGy/h) of gamma rays on mice testicles. C57BL/6 mice were divided into sham and radiation groups (n = 8 each), and were exposed to either sham irradiation or 2 Gy for 21 days, 0.2 Gy for 2 days, or 0.02 Gy for 6 h of low-dose-rate irradiation. Testicular weight, seminiferous tubular diameter, and seminiferous epithelial depth were significantly decreased in the mice irradiated with 2 Gy at 1 and 9 days after exposure. Moreover, the low-dose-rate radiation exposure induced an increase in malondialdehyde levels, and a decrease in superoxide dismutase activity in the testis of mice irradiated with 2 Gy at 1 and 9 days after exposure. The sperm count and motility in the epididymis also decreased in mice irradiated with 2 Gy at 1 and 9 days after exposure, whereas there was no significant effect on the proportion of abnormal sperm. The expressions of DNA methlytransferases-1 and histone deacetylases 1 in testes irradiated with 2 Gy were significantly decreased compared with the sham group. In conclusion, the damage exerted on the testes and epididymis largely depended on the total dose of low-dose-rate radiation.
authors.affiliation: Research Center, Dongnam Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (DIRAMS), 40 Jwadong-gil, Gijang-gun, Busan 619-953, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Ji
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: In Sik
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Tae Gen
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Kwangmo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Kyu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.forename: Joong Sun
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000076123:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D056284:Histone Deacetylase 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009929:Organ Size / Q000528:radiation effects; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism*; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000076123:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases; C000619381:Dnmt1 protein, mouse; C484389:Hdac1 protein, mouse; D056284:Histone Deacetylase 1
keywords: low-dose-rate radiation; radiation effects; sperm; testis
references.citation: J Radiat Res. 2009 May;50(3):261-6
references.pmid: 19531924
references.citation: Andrologia. 2011 Apr;43(2):87-93
references.pmid: 21382061
references.citation: J Androl. 1999 Nov-Dec;20(6):718-23
references.pmid: 10591610
references.citation: Br J Radiol. 2005 Jan;78(925):3-7
references.pmid: 15673519
references.citation: Cancer. 2002 Feb 15;94(4 Suppl):1210-4
references.pmid: 11877747
references.citation: Int J Radiat Biol. 1991 Mar;59(3):595-610
references.pmid: 1672350
references.citation: Med J Aust. 1999 May 17;170(10):495-7
references.pmid: 10376028
references.citation: Radiat Res. 2006 Apr;165(4):379-89
references.pmid: 16579650
references.citation: Int J Radiat Biol. 2005 Oct;81(10):721-9
references.pmid: 16449079
references.citation: Histochem Cell Biol. 2007 Feb;127(2):175-81
references.pmid: 16960727
references.citation: Mol Hum Reprod. 1998 Mar;4(3):227-33
references.pmid: 9570268
references.citation: Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2011 Jul;146(1-3):280-2
references.pmid: 21729943
references.citation: Int J Radiat Biol. 1998 Feb;73(2):163-7
references.pmid: 9489563
references.citation: J Radiat Res. 2013 Jan;54(1):76-82
references.pmid: 22984279
references.citation: Nat Genet. 2000 Jan;24(1):88-91
references.pmid: 10615135
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Jun 21;102(25):8905-9
references.pmid: 15956212
references.citation: Int J Radiat Biol. 2001 Apr;77(4):529-38
references.pmid: 11304444
references.citation: Eur J Cell Biol. 2000 Dec;79(12):950-60
references.pmid: 11152286
references.citation: J Leukoc Biol. 1992 Oct;52(4):433-40
references.pmid: 1402391
references.citation: Am J Anat. 1956 Nov;99(3):507-16
references.pmid: 13402729
references.citation: Phytother Res. 2012 Aug;26(8):1119-25
references.pmid: 22162311
references.citation: J Androl. 2004 Sep-Oct;25(5):811-8
references.pmid: 15292114
references.citation: Cell Immunol. 2006 Nov;244(1):50-6
references.pmid: 17420010
references.citation: J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 2005;(34):12-7
references.pmid: 15784814