Characterization of the acute inflammatory response after irradiation in mice and its regulation by interleukin 4 (114)

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of total-body irradiatio n of mice on the acute release of a panel of several mediators of inflammat ion and to evaluate the efficacy of I14 in regulating these radiation-induc ed modifications. We studied the effects of exposure of C57BL6/J mice to 8 Gy gamma rays on the early release of cytokines, chemokines, acute-phase pr oteins, prostaglandins and corticosterone in either plasma or tissues compa red to those observed after intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide from 1 h to 3 days after stimulation. During the characterization of the a cute inflammatory response induced by radiation or lipopolysaccharide, we o bserved differences both in the type of mediators produced and in the time course of release. We next determined the anti-inflammatory potential of I1 4 in this model of total-body irradiation. We found that I14 was able to do wn-regulate the radiation-induced production of mediators of inflammation s uch as Gro1 (also known as KC, N51) in plasma and lung, corticosterone in b lood, II1b in lung, and prostaglandin E-2 in colon, suggesting the anti-inf lammatory potential of I14 in regulating the radiation-induced response. (C ) 2001 by Radiation Research Society.