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Radiation-induced lung injury in vivo: Expression of transforming growth factor—Beta precedes fibrosis

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Abstract

Cytokine release from irradiated cells has been postulated to start soon after irradiation preceding detectable clinical and pathological manifestation of lung injury. The expression of transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ), a fibrogenic and radiation-inducible cytokine, was studied from 1–16 weeks after the 15 and 30 Gray (Gy) of thoracic irradiation to rats. Thoracic irradiation caused an increase in TGFβ protein in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid peaking at 3–6 weeks as compared to sham-irradiated control rats. Steady state TGFβ mRNA expression as shown by whole lung northern blot assay paralleled the TGFβ protein expression in BAL fluid. The peak of TGFβ protein increase in BAL fluid between 3 and 6 weeks coincided with the initial influx of inflammatory cells in BAL fluid, but preceded histologically discernable pulmonary fibrosis that was not apparent until 8–10 weeks after irradiation. In conclusion, TGFβ and mRNA and protein upregulation preceded the radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis, suggesting a pathogenetic role in the development of radiation fibrosis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, University of California at San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California

    Eunhee S. Yi, Adriana Bedoya, Hyesun Lee, Songmei Yin & Thomas R. Ulich

  2. Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California at San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California

    Elaine Chin & William Saunders

  3. Laboratory of Chemoprevention, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland

    Seong -Jin Kim & David Danielpour

  4. Department of Pathology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan

    Daniel G. Remick

Authors
  1. Eunhee S. Yi
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  2. Adriana Bedoya
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  3. Hyesun Lee
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  4. Elaine Chin
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  5. William Saunders
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  6. Seong -Jin Kim
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  7. David Danielpour
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  8. Daniel G. Remick
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  9. Songmei Yin
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  10. Thomas R. Ulich
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Yi, E.S., Bedoya, A., Lee, H. et al. Radiation-induced lung injury in vivo: Expression of transforming growth factor—Beta precedes fibrosis. Inflammation 20, 339–352 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01486737

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