Expression and significance of CD36 on acute radiation-induced lung injury

To investigate the pathology of acute radiation-induced lung injury and expression and significance of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) receptor CD36 during different phases in rats, forty Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group (C) and radiation group (R). Both groups were radiated with 6 MV X ray linear accelerator at dose of 15 Gy thoracically, 2 Gy/min, with SSD 1 m and radiation area 4.5 cm x 4.5 cm. The pathological change of lung tissue and the expression of CD36 were detected with HE, Masson and immunohistochemistry staining, respectively. Result HE and Masson staining showed that only one week after radiation, the alveolar spaces had exudative inflammatory cells, following interstitial edema, and at 4 and 8 weeks, alveolar spaces shrank, even its structure was destroyed with local consol, and pulmonary interstitium appeared collagen fibers. The expression of CD36 was significantly higher in radiation group at all phases (p<0.01). The expression of CD36 increased significantly in radiation-induced lung injury. CD36 participated in the process of radiation-induced lung injury, and inhibition of CD36 expression may have preventive effect on radiation-induced lung injury. (authors)