Title: Low-dose ionising radiation effects: effects of thoron inhalation

Authors: Aditya Menon; R. Indu; Tiju Chacko; Cherupally Krishnan Krishnan Nair

Addresses: Pushpagiri Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Tiruvalla 689101, Kerala, India ' Pushpagiri Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Tiruvalla 689101, Kerala, India ' Pushpagiri Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Tiruvalla 689101, Kerala, India ' Pushpagiri Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Tiruvalla 689101, Kerala, India

Abstract: Cellular DNA damage, tissue antioxidant levels, serum parameters, blood count and histopathological alterations were examined in tissues of mice exposed to thoron (average radiation dose 0.065 µSv/hr). Alkaline comet assay results indicated that inhalation of thoron caused significant increase in the damage to DNA of lung tissue, while there was no significant damage to DNA in bone marrow cells. A small increase in cellular DNA damage was also seen in blood leukocytes following thoron exposure. Inhalation of thoron induced severe damage in the lung cells leading to their elimination by apoptosis. Histology of lungs showed areas of abnormalities. An increase in the level of inflammatory response mediator, NF-κB, was also observed in the lung tissue of exposed mice. The DNA damage in lung cells could be induced by high energy radiation emanating from radioactive decay of thoron and its progeny particularly the alpha radiation of 8.88 MeV from ²¹²Po.

Keywords: thoron inhalation; DNA damage; apoptosis; low radiation; NF-kappaB; radiation effects; low dose radiation; tissue antioxidant levels; serum parameters; blood count; histopathological alterations; mice tissue; blood leukocytes; lung cells; inflammatory response mediator.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLR.2014.063409

International Journal of Low Radiation, 2014 Vol.9 No.4, pp.252 - 265

Received: 19 Oct 2013
Accepted: 21 May 2014
Published online: 23 Oct 2014 *

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