Ultra high dose rate (35 Gy/sec) radiation does not spare the normal tissue in cardiac and splenic models of lymphopenia and gastrointestinal syndrome

Sci Rep. 2019 Nov 20;9(1):17180. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-53562-y.

Abstract

Recent reports have shown that very high dose rate radiation (35-100 Gy/second) referred to as FLASH tends to spare the normal tissues while retaining the therapeutic effect on tumor. We undertook a series of experiments to assess if ultra-high dose rate of 35 Gy/second can spare the immune system in models of radiation induced lymphopenia. We compared the tumoricidal potency of ultra-high dose rate and conventional dose rate radiation using a classical clonogenic assay in murine pancreatic cancer cell lines. We also assessed the lymphocyte sparing potential in cardiac and splenic irradiation models of lymphopenia and assessed the severity of radiation-induced gastrointestinal toxicity triggered by the two dose rate regimes in vivo. Ultra-high dose rate irradiation more potently induces clonogenic cell death than conventional dose rate irradiation with a dose enhancement factor at 10% survival (DEF10) of 1.310 and 1.365 for KPC and Panc02 cell lines, respectively. Ultra-high dose rate was equally potent in depleting CD3, CD4, CD8, and CD19 lymphocyte populations in both cardiac and splenic irradiation models of lymphopenia. Radiation-induced gastrointestinal toxicity was more pronounced and mouse survival (7 days vs. 15 days, p = 0.0001) was inferior in the ultra-high dose rate arm compared to conventional dose rate arm. These results suggest that, contrary to published data in other models of radiation-induced acute and chronic toxicity, dose rates of 35 Gy/s do not protect mice from the detrimental side effects of irradiation in our models of cardiac and splenic radiation-induced lymphopenia or gastrointestinal mucosal injury.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Female
  • Gamma Rays / adverse effects*
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases / etiology
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases / pathology*
  • Heart / radiation effects*
  • Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Lymphocytes / radiation effects
  • Lymphopenia / etiology
  • Lymphopenia / pathology*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Organs at Risk / radiation effects*
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Radiation Injuries / etiology
  • Radiation Injuries / pathology
  • Spleen / immunology*
  • Spleen / radiation effects