The Effect of Low Dose Radiation on the Neuronal Cell Proliferation in Diabetic Rats

Kim, Doo Soon; Kang, Jin Oh; Hong, Seong Eon; Kim, Sang Ki; Lee, Taeck Hyun; Kim, Chang Ju

Abstract

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of low dose radiation on neuronal cell proliferation in diabetic rats.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A group of rats (first group) were divided into three subgroups (nondiabetic control, nondiabetic 0.1 Gy and nondiabetic 10 Gy groups) to determine the effect of radiation on normal hippocampal neuronal cell proliferation. A further group of rats (second group) were divided into six subgroups (nondiabetic control, diabetic control, diabetic 0.01 Gy, diabetic 0.1 Gy, diabetic 1 Gy and diabetic 10 Gy groups) to determine the effect of radiation on hippocampal neuronal cell proliferation under diabetic conditions. Using immunohistochemistry for 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU), the number of neuronal cells in the dentate gyrus of all the groups was counted.
RESULTS
The number of BrdU-positive cells in the dentate Gyrus of the nondiabetic control, nondiabetic 0.1 Gy and nondiabetic 10 Gy subgroups of the first group were 45.96+/-3.42, 59.34+/-5.20 and 19.26+/-2.98/mm2, respectively. The number of BrdU-positive cells in the dentate gyrus of the diabetic control, diabetic 0.01 Gy, diabetic 0.1 Gy, diabetic 1 Gy and diabetic 10 Gy subgroups of the second group were 55.44+/-8.57, 33.33+/-6.46, 67.75+/-10.54, 66.63+/-10.05, 23.59+/-6.37 and 14.34+/-7.22/mm2, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Low dose radiation enhances cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus of STZ-induced diabetic rats.