Contribution of nitric oxide radicals in bystander and adaptive responses induced by heavy ion-beams

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether radioadaptive responses were induced after irradiation with accelerated ion beams through nitric oxide-mediated bystander response in cultured cells in vitro and in some organs of mice in vivo. Human non-small cell lung carcinoma cells transfected with wild-type p53 (H1299/wtp53 cells) were used. The cells were irradiated with accelerated carbon ion beams (290 MeV/u, 31 keV/μm or 135 MeV/u, 31 keV/μm). Then, the cells were allowed forming colonies. ICR male mice (Jcl: ICR) were used. The mice were irradiated on 2 days with accelerated carbon ion beams (290 MeV/u, 13 keV/μm or 135 MeV/u, 25 keV/μm) or argon ion beams (500 MeV/u, 90 keV/μm). The small intestine and testis were excised 2 days after the last irradiation. These excised tissues were fixed, embedded in paraffin and made of thin-sections on slide glasses. Then the TUNEL- and activated caspase-3-positive cells in the thin-sections of tissues were detected by the immunohistochemical method. A significant elevated surviving fractions of cells was observed when the cells were challengingly irradiated after the priming irradiation with accelerate carbon ion beams. This enhancement was partially suppressed by Nitric oxide (NO) radical scavenger, carboxy-PTIO (c-PTIO). The bystander-induced apoptotic and activated caspase-3-positive cells were obviously observed in the unirradiated small intestine and testis when mice were irradiated with carbon or argon ion beams across the upper body. In addition, a significant reduction of apoptotic cells in the intestine and testis, when mice were challengingly irradiated after the priming irradiation with accelerate carbon or argon ion beams. These observations were partially suppressed by c-PTIO into the peritoneal cavity. Furthermore, it is suggested that the apoptosis may be induced in the tissue stem cells of small intestine and testis. (author)