title: High-dose Radiation Induced Heart Damage in a Rat Model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Radiation-induced heart disease (RIHD) is a concern during radiotherapy. For its comprehensive study, an in vivo selective heart irradiation model was developed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sprague-Dawley rats were irradiated with 50 Gy and functional imaging, biochemical (circulating growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and morphological (picrosirius red staining of the heart) objectives were tested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Signs and symptoms of RIHD occurred >12 weeks after irradiation with tachypnea, systolic and diastolic dysfunction, cardiac hypertrophy and body development retardation. Plasma GDF-15 was increased 3, 12 and 26, while plasma TGF-beta was increased 12 weeks after irradiation. At autopsy, extensive pleural fluid was found in the irradiated animals. Interstitial fibrosis could be reliably detected and quantified in irradiated hearts after a follow-up time of 19 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The studied parameters could be used in future experiments for testing protective agents for prevention of radiation heart injury.
authors: Department of Oncotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Kiscsatári
authors: Metabolic Diseases and Cell Signaling Group, Department of Biochemistry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Márta
authors: M
authors: Sárközy
authors: Department of Pathology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Bence
authors: B
authors: Kővári
authors: Department of Oncotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Zoltán
authors: Z
authors: Varga
authors: Metabolic Diseases and Cell Signaling Group, Department of Biochemistry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Kamilla
authors: K
authors: Gömöri
authors: Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Nikolett
authors: N
authors: Morvay
authors: Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: István
authors: I
authors: Leprán
authors: Department of Morphology and Physiology, College of Health Care, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Hargita
authors: H
authors: Hegyesi
authors: Department of Oncotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Gabriella
authors: G
authors: Fábián
authors: Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Bálint
authors: B
authors: Cserni
authors: Department of Pathology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary Department of Pathology, Bács-Kiskun County Teaching Hospital, Kecskemét, Hungary.
authors: Gábor
authors: G
authors: Cserni
authors: Metabolic Diseases and Cell Signaling Group, Department of Biochemistry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Tamás
authors: T
authors: Csont
authors: Department of Oncotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary kahan.zsuzsanna@med.u-szeged.hu.
authors: Zsuzsanna
authors: Z
authors: Kahán
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055436:Growth Differentiation Factor 15 / Q000097:blood*; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011833:Radiation Injuries, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051381:Rats; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D055436:Growth Differentiation Factor 15; D020011:Protective Agents; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta
keywords: Heart function; inflammatory cytokines; radiation heart damage; radiogenic fibrosis; rat model