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Wang L, Rivas R, Wilson A, Park YM, Walls S, Yu T, Miller AC. Dose-Dependent Effects of Radiation on Mitochondrial Morphology and Clonogenic Cell Survival in Human Microvascular Endothelial Cells. Cells 2023; 13:39. [PMID: 38201243 PMCID: PMC10778067 DOI: 10.3390/cells13010039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
To better understand radiation-induced organ dysfunction at both high and low doses, it is critical to understand how endothelial cells (ECs) respond to radiation. The impact of irradiation (IR) on ECs varies depending on the dose administered. High doses can directly damage ECs, leading to EC impairment. In contrast, the effects of low doses on ECs are subtle but more complex. Low doses in this study refer to radiation exposure levels that are below those that cause immediate and necrotic damage. Mitochondria are the primary cellular components affected by IR, and this study explored their role in determining the effect of radiation on microvascular endothelial cells. Human dermal microvascular ECs (HMEC-1) were exposed to varying IR doses ranging from 0.1 Gy to 8 Gy (~0.4 Gy/min) in the AFRRI 60-Cobalt facility. Results indicated that high doses led to a dose-dependent reduction in cell survival, which can be attributed to factors such as DNA damage, oxidative stress, cell senescence, and mitochondrial dysfunction. However, low doses induced a small but significant increase in cell survival, and this was achieved without detectable DNA damage, oxidative stress, cell senescence, or mitochondrial dysfunction in HMEC-1. Moreover, the mitochondrial morphology was assessed, revealing that all doses increased the percentage of elongated mitochondria, with low doses (0.25 Gy and 0.5 Gy) having a greater effect than high doses. However, only high doses caused an increase in mitochondrial fragmentation/swelling. The study further revealed that low doses induced mitochondrial elongation, likely via an increase in mitochondrial fusion protein 1 (Mfn1), while high doses caused mitochondrial fragmentation via a decrease in optic atrophy protein 1 (Opa1). In conclusion, the study suggests, for the first time, that changes in mitochondrial morphology are likely involved in the mechanism for the radiation dose-dependent effect on the survival of microvascular endothelial cells. This research, by delineating the specific mechanisms through which radiation affects endothelial cells, offers invaluable insights into the potential impact of radiation exposure on cardiovascular health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA; (L.W.); (R.R.); (A.W.); (S.W.)
- Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA
- Henry M Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA; (Y.M.P.); (T.Y.)
| | - Rafael Rivas
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA; (L.W.); (R.R.); (A.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Angelo Wilson
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA; (L.W.); (R.R.); (A.W.); (S.W.)
- Henry M Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA; (Y.M.P.); (T.Y.)
| | - Yu Min Park
- Henry M Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA; (Y.M.P.); (T.Y.)
- Consortium for Health and Military Performance, Department of Military and Emergency Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Shannon Walls
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA; (L.W.); (R.R.); (A.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Tianzheng Yu
- Henry M Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA; (Y.M.P.); (T.Y.)
- Consortium for Health and Military Performance, Department of Military and Emergency Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Alexandra C. Miller
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA; (L.W.); (R.R.); (A.W.); (S.W.)
- Department of Radiation Science and Radiology, Uniformed Services University Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
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