This commentary provides a very brief overview of the book “A History of the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Low Dose Radiation Research Program: 1998–2008” ( http://lowdose.energy.gov). The book summarizes and evaluates the research progress, publications and impact of the U.S. Department of Energy Low Dose Radiation Research Program over its first 10 years. The purpose of this book was to summarize the impact of the program's research on the current thinking and low-dose paradigms associated with the radiation biology field and to help stimulate research on the potential adverse and/or protective health effects of low doses of ionizing radiation. In addition, this book provides a summary of the data generated in the low dose program and a scientific background for anyone interested in conducting future research on the effects of low-dose or low-dose-rate radiation exposure. This book's exhaustive list of publications coupled with discussions of major observations should provide a significant resource for future research in the low-dose and dose-rate region. However, because of space limitations, only a limited number of critical references are mentioned. Finally, this history book provides a list of major advancements that were accomplished by the program in the field of radiation biology, and these bulleted highlights can be found in last part of chapters 4–10.

As space travel is expanding to include private tourism and travel beyond low-Earth orbit, so is the risk of exposure to space radiation. Galactic cosmic rays and solar particle events have the potential to expose space travelers to significant doses of radiation that can lead to increased cancer risk and other adverse health consequences. Metabolomics has the potential to assess an individual's risk by exploring the metabolic perturbations in a biofluid or tissue. In this study, C57BL/6 mice were exposed to 0.5 and 2 Gy of 1 GeV/nucleon of protons and the levels of metabolites were evaluated in urine at 4 h after radiation exposure through liquid chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Significant differences were identified in metabolites that map to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and fatty acid metabolism, suggesting that energy metabolism is severely impacted after exposure to protons. Additionally, various pathways of amino acid metabolism (tryptophan, tyrosine, arginine and proline and phenylalanine) were affected with potential implications for DNA damage repair and cognitive impairment. Finally, presence of products of purine and pyrimidine metabolism points to direct DNA damage or increased apoptosis. Comparison of these metabolomic data to previously published data from our laboratory with gamma radiation strongly suggests a more pronounced effect on metabolism with protons. This is the first metabolomics study with space radiation in an easily accessible biofluid such as urine that further investigates and exemplifies the biological differences at early time points after exposure to different radiation qualities.

A survivin-mediated radio-adaptive response was induced in SA-NH murine sarcoma cells following activation of nuclear transcription factor κB (NFκB) by very low doses of ionizing radiation of 5, 20 or 100 mGy. SA-NH cells and a clone stably transfected with a plasmid containing a mutated IκBα gene that prevents the activation of NFκB (SA-NH mIκBα1) were used to investigate the role of NFκB activation in the development and expression of the survivin-mediated radio-adaptive response. Tumor cells were exposed to very low doses of radiation 30 min prior to or at times ranging from 30 min to 6 h after the first of two 2 Gy doses separated by 24 h under in vitro conditions. Evidence of very low dose radiation induced a radio-adaptive response only in SA-NH but not SA-NH mIκBα1 cells was shown by both an increase in SA-NH cell survival of 20–40% using a standard colony forming assay and reduced apoptosis frequencies of 20–40% as determined by the TUNEL assay. Changes in survivin protein levels as a function of irradiation conditions were monitored by Western blot. A 100 mGy exposure 30 min prior to a 2 Gy dose resulted in an elevation in total survivin protein 24 h later in SA-NH but not SA-NH mIκBα1 cells. Transfection of cells with survivin siRNA inhibited elevation of survivin protein by very low dose radiation and the subsequent radio-adaptive response in SA-NH cells. These data suggest that the survivin-mediated radio-adaptive response is dependent upon the ability of cells to activate NFκB.

One newly recognized consequence of radiation exposure may be the delayed development of diabetes and metabolic disease. We document the development of type 2 diabetes in a unique nonhuman primate cohort of monkeys that were whole-body irradiated with high doses (6.5–8.4 Gy) 5–9 years earlier. We report here a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes in irradiated monkeys compared to age-matched nonirradiated monkeys. These irradiated diabetic primates demonstrate insulin resistance and hypertriglyceridemia, however, they lack the typical obese presentation of primate midlife diabetogenesis. Surprisingly, body composition analyses by computed tomography indicated that prior irradiation led to a specific loss of visceral fat mass. Prior irradiation led to reductions in insulin signaling effectiveness in skeletal muscle and higher monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 levels, indicative of increased inflammation. However, there was an absence of large defects in pancreatic function with radiation exposure, which has been documented previously in animal and human studies. Monkeys that remained healthy and did not become diabetic in the years after irradiation were significantly leaner and smaller, and were generally smaller and younger at the time of exposure. Irradiation also resulted in smaller stature in both diabetic and nondiabetic monkeys, compared to nonirradiated age-matched controls. Our study demonstrates that diabetogenesis postirradiation is not a consequence of disrupted adipose accumulation (generalized or in ectopic depots), nor generalized pancreatic failure, but suggests that peripheral tissues such as the musculature are impaired in their response to insulin exposure. Ongoing inflammation in these animals appears to be a consequence of radiation exposure and can interfere with insulin signaling. The reasons that some animals remain protected from diabetes as a late effect of irradiation are not clear, but may be related to body size. The translational relevance for these results suggest that muscle may be an important and underappreciated target organ for the delayed late effect of whole-body irradiation, leading to increased risk of insulin resistance and diabetes development.

The use of Raman spectroscopy to measure the biochemical profile of healthy and diseased cells and tissues may be a potential solution to many diagnostic problems in the clinic. Although extensively used to identify changes in the biochemical profiles of cancerous cells and tissue, Raman spectroscopy has been used less often for analyzing changes to the cellular environment by external factors such as ionizing radiation. In tandem with this, the biological impact of low doses of ionizing radiation remains poorly understood. Extensive studies have been performed on the radiobiological effects associated with radiation doses above 0.1 Gy, and are well characterized, but recent studies on low-dose radiation exposure have revealed complex and highly variable responses. We report here the novel finding that demonstrate the capability of Raman spectroscopy to detect radiation-induced damage responses in isolated lymphocytes irradiated with doses of 0.05 and 0.5 Gy. Lymphocytes were isolated from peripheral blood in a cohort of volunteers, cultured ex vivo and then irradiated. Within 1 h after irradiation spectral effects were observed with Raman microspectroscopy and principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis at both doses relative to the sham-irradiated control (0 Gy). Cellular DNA damage was confirmed using parallel γ-H2AX fluorescence measurements on the extracted lymphocytes per donor and per dose. DNA damage measurements exhibited interindividual variability among both donors and dose, which matched that seen in the spectral variability in the lymphocyte cohort. Further evidence of links between spectral features and DNA damage was also observed, which may potentially allow noninvasive insight into the DNA remodeling that occurs after exposure to ionizing radiation.

The spatial distribution of radiation-induced DNA breaks within the cell nucleus depends on radiation quality in terms of energy deposition pattern. It is generally assumed that the higher the radiation linear energy transfer (LET), the greater the DNA damage complexity. Using a combined experimental and theoretical approach, we examined the phosphorylation-dephosphorylation kinetics of radiation-induced γ-H2AX foci, size distribution and 3D focus morphology, and the relationship between DNA damage and cellular end points (i.e., cell killing and lethal mutations) after exposure to gamma rays, protons, carbon ions and alpha particles. Our results showed that the maximum number of foci are reached 30 min postirradiation for all radiation types. However, the number of foci after 0.5 Gy of each radiation type was different with gamma rays, protons, carbon ions and alpha particles inducing 12.64 ± 0.25, 10.11 ± 0.40, 8.84 ± 0.56 and 4.80 ± 0.35 foci, respectively, which indicated a clear influence of the track structure and fluence on the numbers of foci induced after a dose of 0.5 Gy for each radiation type. The γ-H2AX foci persistence was also dependent on radiation quality, i.e., the higher the LET, the longer the foci persisted in the cell nucleus. The γ-H2AX time course was compared with cell killing and lethal mutation and the results highlighted a correlation between cellular end points and the duration of γ-H2AX foci persistence. A model was developed to evaluate the probability that multiple DSBs reside in the same gamma-ray focus and such probability was found to be negligible for doses lower than 1 Gy. Our model provides evidence that the DSBs inside complex foci, such as those induced by alpha particles, are not processed independently or with the same time constant. The combination of experimental, theoretical and simulation data supports the hypothesis of an interdependent processing of closely associated DSBs, possibly associated with a diminished correct repair capability, which affects cell killing and lethal mutation.

The aim of this current study was to quantitatively describe radiation-induced DNA damage and its distribution in leukocytes of cancer patients after fractionated partial- or total-body radiotherapy. Specifically, the impact of exposed anatomic region and administered dose was investigated in breast and prostate cancer patients receiving partial-body radiotherapy. DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) were quantified by γ-H2AX immunostaining. The frequency of unstable chromosomal aberrations in stimulated lymphocytes was also determined and compared with the frequency of DNA DSBs in the same samples. The frequency of radiation-induced DNA damage was converted into dose, using ex vivo generated calibration curves, and was then compared with the administered physical dose. This study showed that 0.5 h after partial-body radiotherapy the quantity of radiation-induced γ-H2AX foci increased linearly with the administered equivalent whole-body dose for both tumor entities. Foci frequencies dropped 1 day thereafter but proportionality to the equivalent whole-body dose was maintained. Conversely, the frequency of radiation-induced cytogenetic damage increased from 0.5 h to 1 day after the first partial-body exposure with a linear dependence on the administered equivalent whole-body dose, for prostate cancer patients only. Only γ-H2AX foci assessment immediately after partial-body radiotherapy was a reliable measure of the expected equivalent whole-body dose. Local tumor doses could be approximated with both assays after one day. After total-body radiotherapy satisfactory dose estimates were achieved with both assays up to 8 h after exposure. In conclusion, the quantification of radiation-induced γ-H2AX foci, but not cytogenetic damage in peripheral leukocytes was a sensitive and rapid biodosimeter after acute heterogeneous irradiation of partial body volumes that was able to primarily assess the absorbed equivalent whole-body dose.

A central question in radiation protection research is dose and dose-rate relationship for radiation-induced cardiovascular diseases. The response of endothelial cells to different low dose rates may contribute to help estimate risks for cardiovascular diseases by providing mechanistic understanding. In this study we investigated whether chronic low-dose-rate radiation exposure had an effect on the inflammatory response of endothelial cells and their function. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were chronically exposed to radiation at a dose of 1.4 mGy/h or 4.1 mGy/h for 1, 3, 6 or 10 weeks. We determined the pro-inflammatory profile of HUVECs before and during radiation exposure, and investigated the functional consequences of this radiation exposure by measuring their capacity to form vascular networks in matrigel. Expression levels of adhesion molecules such as E-selectin, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as MCP-1, IL-6 and TNF-α were analyzed. When a total dose of 2 Gy was given at a rate of 4.1 mGy/h, we observed an increase in IL-6 and MCP-1 release into the cell culture media, but this was not observed at 1.4 mGy/h. The increase in the inflammatory profile induced at the dose rate of 4.1 mGy/h was also correlated with a decrease in the capacity of the HUVECs to form a vascular network in matrigel. Our results suggest that dose rate is an important parameter in the alteration of HUVEC inflammatory profile and function.

Radiation-induced cell death is thought to be caused by nuclear DNA damage that cannot be repaired. However, in this study we found that a delayed increase of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) is responsible for some of the radiation-induced cell death in normal human fibroblast cells. We have previously reported that there is a delayed increase of mitochondrial ^·O₂^–, measured using MitoSOX™ Red reagent, due to gamma irradiation. This is dependent on Drp1 localization to mitochondria. Here, we show that knockdown of Drp1 expression reduces the level of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) remaining 3 days after 6 Gy irradiation. Furthermore, cells with knockdown of Drp1 expression are more resistant to gamma radiation. We then tested whether the delayed increase of ROS causes DNA damage. The antioxidant, 2-glucopyranoside ascorbic acid (AA-2G), was applied before or after irradiation to inhibit ROS production during irradiation or to inhibit delayed ROS production from mitochondria. Interestingly, 1 h after exposure, the AA-2G treatment reduced the level of DSBs remaining 3 days after 6 Gy irradiation. In addition, irradiated AA-2G-treated cells were more resistant to radiation than the untreated cells. These results indicate that delayed mitochondrial ROS production may cause some of the cell death after irradiation.

We have previously demonstrated that the small molecule octadecenyl thiophosphate (OTP), a synthetic mimic of the growth factor-like mediator lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), showed radioprotective activity in a mouse model of total-body irradiation (TBI) when given orally or intraperitoneally 30 min before exposure to 9 Gy γ radiation. In the current study, we evaluated the effects of OTP, delivered subcutaneously, for radioprotection or radiomitigation from −24 h before to up to 72 h postirradiation using a mouse TBI model with therapeutic doses at around 1 mg/kg. OTP was injected at 10 mg/kg without observable toxic side effects in mice, providing a comfortable safety margin. Treatment of C57BL/6 mice with a single dose of OTP over the time period from −12 h before to 26 h after a lethal dose of TBI reduced mortality by 50%. When administered at 48 h to 72 h postirradiation (LD_50/30 to LD_100/30), OTP reduced mortality by ≥34%. OTP administered at 24 h postirradiation significantly elevated peripheral white blood cell and platelet counts, increased crypt survival in the jejunum, enhanced intestinal glucose absorption and reduced endotoxin seepage into the blood. In the 6.4–8.6 Gy TBI range using LD_50/10 as the end point, OTP yielded a dose modification factor of 1.2. The current data indicate that OTP is a potent radioprotector and radiomitigator ameliorating the mortality and tissue injury of acute hematopoietic as well as acute gastrointestinal radiation syndrome.