Radiation response of rodent neural precursor cells

Full text: Therapeutic irradiation of the brain can cause cognitive dysfunction that is not treatable or well understood. Several lines of evidence from our laboratory suggest that radiation induced inhibition of neurogenesis in the hippocampus may be involved. To understand the mechanisms underlying these observations, we initiated studies using neural precursor cells isolated from the adult rat hippocampus. Cells were cultured exponentially and analyzed for acute (0-24h) and chronic (3-33 day) changes in apoptosis and oxidative stress following exposure to X-rays. Oxidative stress was measured using a dye sensitive to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis was measured using annexin V binding; each endpoint was quantified by fluorescent automated cell sorting (FACS). Following exposure to X-rays, neural precursor cells exhibit a dose-responsive increase in the level of ROS and apoptosis over acute and chronic time frames. ROS and apoptosis were maximal at 12h, increasing 35 and 37% respectively over that of unirradiated controls. ROS and apoptosis peaked again at 24h, increasing 31 and 21% respectively over controls. Chronic levels of ROS and apoptosis were persistently elevated in a dose-dependent manner. ROS showed significant increases (34-180%) over a 3-4 week interval, while increases in apoptosis were less dramatic, rising 45% by week one before dropping to background. Irradiation of rat neural precursor cells was associated with an increase in p53 protein levels, and the activation of G1/S and G2/M checkpoints. These data suggest that the apoptotic and ROS responses may be tied to p53 dependent regulation of cell cycle control and stress activated pathways. We propose that oxidative stress plays a critical role in the radiation response of neural precursor cells, and discuss how this might contribute to the inhibition of neurogenesis and the cognitive impairment observed in the irradiated CNS