Establishing a mouse model of radiation-induced thymus injury

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2013.24.014

Abstract

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The thymus plays an important role in maintaining the immune function of the body. Damage and repair mechanisms of radiation-induced thymus injury require further studies, but there lacks an appropriate animal models.
OBJECTIVE: To establish a mouse model of radiation-induced thymus injury.
METHODS: Totally 160 female BALB/C mice were randomly classified into four groups, 40 mice in each group: control group received sham-irradiation, and the other groups were irradiated with different doses of ⁶⁰Co γ-rays, 6 Gy, 9 Gy and 12 Gy. After the irradiation, the body mass, food and water intake, the thymus index, and thymus pathology were detected at 1, 7, 14, 21, 28 days; esophageal, trachea and lung pathological changes were observed at 7 days; thymus and peripheral blood T subsets of the mice were measured at 14 days.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: ALL three doses (6 Gy, 9 Gy, 12 Gy) could damage mouse thymus. After 6 Gy radiation, radiation-induced thymus injury was relatively mild and repaired within 1 week. Radioactive esophagus and trachea injury were found in mice exposed to 12 Gy radiation. Only exposed to 9 Gy, the thymus had a typical change and other organs were normal. Therefore, single mediastinal ⁶⁰Co γ-ray irradiation at a dose of 9 Gy can successfully produce a mouse model of radioactive thymus injury.

Key words: tissue construction, experimental modeling in tissue construction, mice, radiation injury, thymus, animal models, immune function, mediastinum, body mass, hemogram, thymus index, pathology

CLC Number:

R318

Ning Chang, Yu Chang-lin, Hu Kai-xun. Establishing a mouse model of radiation-induced thymus injury[J]. Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research, 2013, 17(24): 4465-4472.

Figures/Tables 7

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