title: Skin injuries reduce survival and modulate corticosterone, C-reactive protein, complement component 3, IgM, and prostaglandin E 2 after whole-body reactor-produced mixed field (n + γ-photons) irradiation.
abstract: Skin injuries such as wounds or burns following whole-body γ-irradiation (radiation combined injury (RCI)) increase mortality more than whole-body γ-irradiation alone. Wound-induced decreases in survival after irradiation are triggered by sustained activation of inducible nitric oxide synthase pathways, persistent alteration of cytokine homeostasis, and increased susceptibility to systemic bacterial infection. Among these factors, radiation-induced increases in interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations in serum were amplified by skin wound trauma. Herein, the IL-6-induced stress proteins including C-reactive protein (CRP), complement 3 (C3), immunoglobulin M (IgM), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were evaluated after skin injuries given following a mixed radiation environment that might be found after a nuclear incident. In this report, mice received 3 Gy of reactor-produced mixed field (n + γ-photons) radiations at 0.38 Gy/min followed by nonlethal skin wounding or burning. Both wounds and burns reduced survival and increased CRP, C3, and PGE2 in serum after radiation. Decreased IgM production along with an early rise in corticosterone followed by a subsequent decrease was noted for each RCI situation. These results suggest that RCI-induced alterations of corticosterone, CRP, C3, IgM, and PGE2 cause homeostatic imbalance and may contribute to reduced survival. Agents inhibiting these responses may prove to be therapeutic for RCI and improve related survival.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Combined Injury Program, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA ; Department of Radiation Biology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA ; Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
authors.forename: Juliann G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Kiang
authors.forename: G David
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Ledney
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood*; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005720:Gamma Rays; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood*; D051379:Mice; D017785:Photons; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology / Q000293:injuries* / Q000528:radiation effects; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000528:radiation effects; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation
chemical_list: D003176:Complement C3; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D015232:Dinoprostone; D003345:Corticosterone