Expression of pulmonary mRNA encoding ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and P-selectin following thoracic irradiation in mice

• Published in: Radiation medicine Vol. 17; no. 4; p. 283
• Main Authors: Tsujino, K, Kodama, A, Kanaoka, N, Maruta, T, Kono, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan 01-07-1999
• Subjects: Animals; Biomarkers; Blotting, Northern; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 - biosynthesis; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 - genetics; Lung - metabolism; Lung - radiation effects; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; P-Selectin - biosynthesis; P-Selectin - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Thorax - radiation effects; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 - biosynthesis; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 - genetics
• ISSN: 0288-2043

Recent studies have revealed that ionizing radiation induces the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and P-selectin in vitro. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of these adhesion molecules in mouse lung following whole thoracic irradiation.
C57BL/6J mice were irradiated with a single dose of 12 Gy to the thoraces and sacrificed at 4, 12, 24, and 48 hours and 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks after irradiation. Expression of total lung mRNA for ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and P-selectin was quantified by the Northern blot method and normalized to beta-actin.
There were increases in mRNA for ICAM-1 of 42% at 4 hours (p < 0.05), 76% at 24 hours (p < 0.01), and 51% at 48 hours (p < 0.05) compared with the controls. These returned to the control level at 1 week. The expression of VCAM-1 mRNA was also increased by 49% (p < 0.01) at 12 hours and was still increased by 25% at 1 week. P-selectin mRNA was transiently increased by 59% at 12 hours.
These early inductions of mRNA for ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and P-selectin in mouse lung following thoracic irradiation were transient but significant, and are one of the most immediate changes reported in vivo.