Gamma-ray-induced skin injury in the mini-pig: Effects of irradiation exposure on cyclooxygenase-2 expression in the skin
Kim, Joong Sun;Park, Sunhoo;Jang, Won Seok;Lee, Sun Joo;Lee, Seung Sook;
ABSTRACT
The basic concepts of radiation-induced skin damage have been established, the biological mechanism has not been studied. In this study, we have examined the effects of gamma rays on skin injury and cyclooxygenase(COX)-2 expression. Gamma irradiation induced clinicopathological changes in a dose- and time-dependent manner in mini-pig skin. The histological changes were consistent with the changes in gross appearance at 12 weeks after irradiation. After three days' irradiation, apoptotic cells in the basal layer were found more frequently in irradiated skin than in normal skin, with the magnitude of the effect being dose-dependent. The thickness of the epidermis transiently increased 3 days after irradiation, and then gradually decreased, although changes in the epithelial thickness of the irradiated field were not observed with irradiation doses over 50 Gy. In the epithelium, there was an initial degenerative phase, during which the rate of basal cell depletion was dependent on the radiation dose (20-70 Gy). One week after irradiation, COX-2 expression was mostly limited to the basal cell layer and was scattered across these cells. High COX-2 expression was detected throughout the full depth of the skin after irradiation. The COX-2 protein is upregulated after irradiation in mini-pig skin. These histological changes associated with radiation exposure dose cause the increased COX-2 expression in a dose-dependent fashion.
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