title: Ionizing radiation, antioxidant response and oxidative damage: A meta-analysis.
abstract: One mechanism proposed as a link between exposure to ionizing radiation and detrimental effects on organisms is oxidative damage. To test this hypothesis, we surveyed the scientific literature on the effects of chronic low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR) on antioxidant responses and oxidative damage. We found 40 publications and 212 effect sizes for antioxidant responses and 288 effect sizes for effects of oxidative damage. We performed a meta-analysis of signed and unsigned effect sizes. We found large unsigned effects for both categories (0.918 for oxidative damage; 0.973 for antioxidant response). Mean signed effect size weighted by sample size was 0.276 for oxidative damage and -0.350 for antioxidant defenses, with significant heterogeneity among effects for both categories, implying that ionizing radiation caused small to intermediate increases in oxidative damage and small to intermediate decreases in antioxidant defenses. Our estimates are robust, as shown by very high fail-safe numbers. Species, biological matrix (tissue, blood, sperm) and age predicted the magnitude of effects for oxidative damage as well as antioxidant response. Meta-regression models showed that effect sizes for oxidative damage varied among species and age classes, while effect sizes for antioxidant responses varied among species and biological matrices. Our results are consistent with the description of mechanisms underlying pathological effects of chronic exposure to LDIR. Our results also highlight the importance of resistance to oxidative stress as one possible mechanism associated with variation in species responses to LDIR-contaminated areas.
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA. Electronic address: daniel@einor.com.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Einor
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA; School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. Electronic address: andreabonisoli@gmail.com.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Bonisoli-Alquati
authors: Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, B-2610, Antwerp, Belgium. Electronic address: davidcostantini@libero.it.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Costantini
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA; Faculty of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chubu University, Kasugai, Japan. Electronic address: mousseau@sc.edu.
authors: T A
authors: TA
authors: Mousseau
authors: Laboratoire d'Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, CNRS UMR 8079, Université Paris-Sud, Bâtiment 362, F-91405 Orsay Cedex, France. Electronic address: anders.moller@u-psud.fr.
authors: A P
authors: AP
authors: Møller
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants
keywords: Antioxidant activity; Chernobyl; Eastern Urals Trace; Ecology; Evolution; Fukushima; Lipid peroxidation; Oxidative stress; ROS; Radioactive contamination