SUBLETHAL GAMMA-IRRADIATION INCREASES IL-1-ALPHA, IL-6, AND TNF-ALPHAMESSENGER-RNA LEVELS IN MURINE HEMATOPOIETIC TISSUES

The effects of sublethal (7.75 Gy) Co-60 gamma radiation exposure on e ndogenous bone marrow and splenic interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), IL -6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) mRNA and protein level s were assayed in B6D2F1 female mice, Bone marrow and spleen were harv ested from normal and irradiated mice on days 2, 4, 7, 10, and 14 post exposure, and cytokine mRNA levels were determined by reverse transcri ption polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Southern blot analysis, I L-1 alpha mRNA levels were significantly increased in bone marrow at d ays 2 and 4 postirradiation and at day 7 in spleen compared with contr ols, Postirradiation IL-6 mRNA levels showed a significant increase at day 2 in bone marrow and at days 7 and 10 in spleen, TNF-alpha mRNA l evels exhibited a significant increase at day 2 postirradiation in bon e marrow, but in spleen no difference between control and irradiated s amples was observed on any day postirradiation, Interestingly, there w ere no significant differences in the cytokine protein levels in posti rradiation bone marrow, spleen, or serum when compared with normal con trols.