Reduced secretion of the inflammatory cytokine IL-1β by stimulated peritoneal macrophages of radiosensitive Balb/c mice after exposure to 0.5 or 0.7Gy of ionizing radiation. (August 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Frischholz, Birgit; Wunderlich, Roland; Rühle, Paul-Friedrich; Schorn, Christine; Rödel, Franz; Keilholz, Ludwig; Fietkau, Rainer; Gaipl, Udo S.; Frey, Benjamin
• Is Part Of: Autoimmunity. Volume 46:Number 5(2013)
• Page Start: 323
• Page End: 328
• Publication Date: 2013-08
• Subjects: Autoimmunity -- Periodicals; Autoimmune diseases -- Periodicals; 571.973
• DOI: 10.3109/08916934.2012.747522
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0891-6934

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>Since the beginning of the 20th century, low dose radiotherapy (LD-RT) has been practiced and established as therapy of inflammatory diseases. Several clinical studies already have proven the anti-inflammatory effect of low doses of ionizing irradiation (LDR). However, further research is inevitable to reveal the underlying immune-biological mechanisms. Focus has been set on the modulation of activated macrophages by LDR, since they participate in both, initiation and resolution of inflammation. Here we examined with an <italic>ex vivo</italic> peritoneal mouse macrophage model how LDR modulates the secretion of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α by activated macrophages and whether the basal radiosensitivity of the immune cells has influence on it. Peritoneal macrophages of Balb/c mice responded to exposure of 0.5 or 0.7 Gy of ionizing irradiation (X-ray) with significant decreased release of IL-1β and slightly, but not significantly, reduced release of TNF-α. Macrophages of the less radiosensitive C57BL/6 mice did not show this anti-inflammatory reaction. This was observed in both wild type and human TNF-α transgenic animals with C57BL/6 background. We conclude that only the inflammatory phenotype of more radiosensitive macrophages is reduced by LDR and that <italic>ex vivo</italic> and <italic>in vivo</italic> models with primary cells should be applied to examine how the immune system is modulated by LDR.</p> </abstract>