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The Influence of Radiotherapy on AIM2 Inflammasome in Radiation Pneumonitis

Inflammation volume 39, pages 1827–1834 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the influence of radiotherapy on absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasome in radiation pneumonitis (RP). A rat model of RP was established. H&E staining was used to test radiation-induced lung tissue injury. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect the expression of AIM2 and IL-1β in rat lung tissues. Milliplex assay was used to test cytokine levels in rat serum. Comet assay was adopted to examine DNA breaks in THP1 cells. RT-PCR was used to detect the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of AIM2, caspase-1, and IL-1β in THP1 cells. As a result, the rat model indicated that irradiation induced obvious lung injury. A large amount of inflammatory cells infiltrated to the irradiated lung tissues. The structure of lung tissues collapsed. IHC revealed that AIM2 and IL-1β expressions were significantly higher in irradiated lung tissues than in the control. IL-1β level in rat serum significantly elevated on the 7th day post-irradiation, gradually decreased on the 15th day, and became minimal on the 30th day. Irradiation induced dsDNA break in a dose-dependent manner at 24 h after irradiation. Radiotherapy increased the mRNA expression level of AIM2 and IL-1β in a time-dependent manner. In conclusion, radiotherapy triggered some critical components of AIM2 inflammasome in RP. The activation of AIM2 inflammasome by radiotherapy may contribute to the pathogenesis of RP.

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Acknowledgments

This study was sponsored by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NO. 81372407).

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    1. Department of Oncology I, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, 430060, Wuhan, China

      Qianyu Zhang, Qinyong Hu, Yuxin Chu, Bin Xu & Qibin Song

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    1. Qianyu Zhang
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    2. Qinyong Hu
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    3. Yuxin Chu
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    4. Bin Xu
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    Correspondence to Qibin Song.

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    The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

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    Qianyu Zhang and Qinyong Hu contributed equally to this work.

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    Zhang, Q., Hu, Q., Chu, Y. et al. The Influence of Radiotherapy on AIM2 Inflammasome in Radiation Pneumonitis. Inflammation 39, 1827–1834 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10753-016-0419-y

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10753-016-0419-y

    KEY WORDS

    • radiotherapy
    • radiation pneumonitis (RP)
    • AIM2
    • inflammasome