Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2024. Vol. 69. № 1

DOI:10.33266/1024-6177-2024-69-1-20-27

V.A. Anikina ¹, S.S. Sorokina ¹, A.E. Shemyakov ^1,2, E.A. Zamyatina ¹,
N.R. Popova ¹

Comparative Assessment of the Effect of Local Proton Radiation
with a Dose of 30 Gy in BALB/c and C57BL/6 Mice

¹ Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Moscow Region, Pushchino, Russia

² Branch “Physio-Technical Center” of the P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Moscow Region, Protvino, Russia

Contact person: N.R. Popova, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of local proton irradiation at a dose of 30 Gy on Balb/c and C57BL/6 mice in terms of the degree and dynamics of radiation-induced skin damage formation, changes in body weight and peripheral blood elements count.

Material and methods: Experiments were performed on non-depilated male mice aged 7‒8 weeks from two strains: Balb/c and C57BL/6 (n=15). Local irradiation of the skin was carried out on the dorsal side of the animals using a scanning proton beam at an extended Bragg peak in the proton therapy complex «Prometheus» of the LPI Physico-technical Centre (Protvino) at a dose of 30 Gy with a proton energy of 87.8 MeV. During the irradiation session, animals were subjected to intraperitoneal anesthesia using a combination of Zoletil 100 (Virbac, France) and Xyla (Interchemie, Netherlands) in a previously determined ratio 1:3 (20‒40 mg/kg). Photographic documentation of radiation-induced skin damage was performed weekly for 70 days. Animals were examined daily for clinical manifestations of radiation-induced skin damage formation according to the RTOG international scale for 21 days following irradiation. The body weight dynamics of mice were evaluated one day before irradiation and then weekly for 70 days. Blood samples were collected from the tail vein by cutting the tip of the tail and analyzed using a DH36 Vet hematology analyzer (Dymind, China) one day before irradiation, one day and three days after irradiation, and weekly thereafter for 70 days. Experimental data were presented as mean ± standard deviation (M ± SD).

Results: In this study, the impact of a single local exposure to proton radiation at a dose of 30 Gy on the degree and dynamics of radiation-induced skin damage formation was evaluated. It was demonstrated that Balb/c mice exhibited a higher frequency and degree of radiation-induced skin damage formation compared to the C57BL/6 mice. Analysis of body weight in mice after radiation exposure revealed no significant decrease in either mouse strain. A comparative analysis of the number of platelets, erythrocytes and hemoglobin concentration in both mouse strains did not reveal any changes, while a tendency towards a decrease in the number of leukocytes, lymphocytes, and granulocytes was observed in the irradiated Balb/c mice group compared to the control group. Conversely, in irradiated C57BL/6 mice, the number of lymphocytes was higher compared to control animals.

Conclusion: In this study, Balb/c mice exhibited higher radiosensitivity compared to C57BL mice in response to a single local proton irradiation at a dose of 30 Gy.

Keywords: proton radiation, radiation dermatitis, radiation burn, hematological analysis, BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice

For citation: Anikina VA, Sorokina SS, Shemyakov AE, Zamyatina EA, Popova NR. Comparative Assessment of the Effect of Local Proton Radiation with a Dose of 30 Gy in BALB/c and C57BL/6 Mice. Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2024;69(1):20–27. (In Russian). DOI:10.33266/1024-6177-2024-69-1-20-27

 

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Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Financing. The study was done with the support of the RNF grant No. 22-63-00082.

Contribution. Development of the research concept: Popova N.R., Sorokina S.S.; development of the research design: Popova N.R., Sorokina S.S., Anikina V.A.; conducting experiments: Anikina V.A., Zamyatina E.A., Shemyakov A.E., development and modification of research methods: Anikina V.A., Shemyakov A.E.; collection and analysis of literary material: Anikina V.A., Sorokina S.S., Popova N.R.; statistical data processing: Anikina V.A.; writing and scientific editing of the text: Sorokina S.S., Popova N.R.

Article received: 20.10.2023. Accepted for publication: 27.11.2023.