The role of metformin on the radiosensitising effect of cisplatin is not clear. Here we investigated the radiosensitising effect of metformin alone and combined with cisplatin in HeLa cells, as well ...as the implications of the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway on the radiosensitising effect.
HeLa cells were treated with ionising radiation, metformin, cisplatin, A769662 (AMPK activator) and dorsomorphin (AMPK inhibitor) or in combination. A cell proliferation assay, Western blot and flow cytometry were carried out.
Metformin potentiated cisplatin cytotoxicity when administered 4 h before ionising radiation. Although the radiosensitising effects of metformin and cisplatin alone were observed, which is more apparent at high ionising radiation doses, the metformin–cisplatin combination did not increase the radiosensitivity of cisplatin at any ionising radiation dose. Dorsomorphin alone significantly decreased cell proliferation and potentiated the radiosensitising effects of cisplatin with ionising radiation. Administration of A769662 24 h prior to cisplatin treatment resulted in an increased AMPK level that yielded resistance to cisplatin, but this effect was not observed in HeLa cells concomitantly treated with A769662 and cisplatin.
Modulation of AMPK may have a role in cervical cancer treatment. Increased AMPK levels result in higher sensitivity to ionising radiation but causes resistance to cisplatin. Dorsomorphin is proven to be a potent radiosensitising agent. The use of metformin alone may be an option as a radiosensitiser during high-dose ionising radiation (e.g. intracavitary brachytherapy).
•Increased AMPK levels result in higher sensitivity to ionising radiation, while causing resistance to cisplatin.•Dorsomorphin proves to be a potent radiosensitising agent.•Metformin alone may be an option as a radiosensitiser during high-dose ionising radiation (e.g. intracavitary brachytherapy).
In nuclear power plants, particle accelerators, and other nuclear facilities, measuring the level of ionising gamma radiation is critical for the safety and management of the operation and the ...environment’s protection. However, in many cases, it is impossible to monitor ionising radiation directly at the required location continuously. This is typically either due to the lack of space to accommodate the entire dosimeter or in environments with high ionising radiation activity, electromagnetic radiation, and temperature, which significantly shorten electronics’ lifetime. To allow for radiation measurement in such scenarios, we designed a fibre optic dosimeter that introduces an optical fibre link to deliver the scintillation radiation between the ionising radiation sensor and the detectors. The sensors can thus be placed in space-constrained and electronically hostile locations. We used silica optical fibres that withstand high radiation doses, high temperatures, and electromagnetic interference. We use a single photon counter and a photomultiplier to detect the transmitted scintillation radiation. We have shown that selected optical fibres, combined with different scintillation materials, are suitable for measuring gamma radiation levels in hundreds of kBq. We present the architecture of the dosimeter and its experimental characterisation with several combinations of optical fibres, detectors, and scintillation crystals.
Summary
Light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) are emerging as a clean technology for improving the postharvest preservation of fruits. Mangoes were irradiated with blue LEDs (75 µmol s‐1 m−2) and then stored ...for 15 days. The fruit quality, including the content of antioxidant compounds and activities of antioxidant enzymes, was evaluated during storage. The treatment with blue LEDs delayed the changes associated with the senescence processes, including the changes in softening, weight loss, total soluble solids content, and titratable acidity. Treatment also caused increases in the antioxidant capacity (1.33‐fold), ascorbic acid (1.69‐fold), total phenolic (1.33‐fold), flavonoids (1.50‐fold), and carotenoids content (1.18‐fold) compared to control. At the end of storage, blue LEDs treatment maintained higher phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase (1.28‐fold), peroxidase (1.58‐fold), catalase (2.21‐fold), and ascorbate peroxidase (1.51‐fold) activities. Our findings indicate that blue LEDs might be a potential elicitor that modulates oxidative homeostasis and improves the antioxidant and nutritional status of mango by enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes.
Postharvest blue LEDs irradiation maintains quality attributes and enhances the antioxidant status of mango fruit during storage.
Radiation hazards are accountable for extensive damage in the biological system and acts as a public health burden. Owing to the rapid increasing in radiation technology, both Ionizing radiation (IR) ...from natural and man made source poses detrimental outcome to public health. IR releases free radicals which induces oxidative stress and deleterious biological damage by modulating radiation induced signalling intermediates. The efficacy of existing therapeutic approach and treatment strategy are limited owing to their toxicity and associated side effects. Indian system of traditional medicine is enriched with prospective phytochemicals with potential radioprotection ability.
The present review elucidated and summarized the potential role of plant derived novel chemical compound with prospective radioprotective potential.
So far as the traditional system of Indian medicine is concerned, plant kingdom is enriched with potential bioactive molecules with diverse pharmacological activities. We reviewed several compounds mostly secondary metabolites from plant origin using various search engines.
Both compounds from land plants and marine source exhibited antioxidant antiinflammatory, free radical scavenging ability. These compounds have tremendous potential in fine-tuning of several signalling intermediates, which are actively participated in the progression and development of a pathological condition associated with radiation stress.
Development and explore of an operational radioprotective agent from originated from plant source that can be used as a novel molecular tool to eliminate the widespread damage caused by space exploration, ionizing radiation, nuclear war and radiotherapy has been significantly appreciated. Through extensive literature search we highlighted several compounds from both land plant and marine origin can be implemented for a better therapeutic potential against radiation induced injury. Furthermore, extensive clinical trials must be carried out in near future for better therapeutic modality and clinical efficacy.
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We previously reported evidence of a dose-response relationship between ionising-radiation exposure from paediatric computed tomography (CT) scans and the risk of leukaemia and brain tumours in a ...large UK cohort. Underlying unreported conditions could have introduced bias into these findings.
We collected and reviewed additional clinical information from radiology information systems (RIS) databases, underlying cause of death and pathology reports. We conducted sensitivity analyses excluding participants with cancer-predisposing conditions or previous unreported cancers and compared the dose-response analyses with our original results.
We obtained information from the RIS and death certificates for about 40% of the cohort (n∼180 000) and found cancer-predisposing conditions in 4 out of 74 leukaemia/myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) cases and 13 out of 135 brain tumour cases. As these conditions were unrelated to CT exposure, exclusion of these participants did not alter the dose-response relationships. We found evidence of previous unreported cancers in 2 leukaemia/MDS cases, 7 brain tumour cases and 232 in non-cases. These previous cancers were related to increased number of CTs. Exclusion of these cancers reduced the excess relative risk per mGy by 15% from 0.036 to 0.033 for leukaemia/MDS (P-trend=0.02) and by 30% from 0.023 to 0.016 (P-trend<0.0001) for brain tumours. When we included pathology reports we had additional clinical information for 90% of the cases. Additional exclusions from these reports further reduced the risk estimates, but this sensitivity analysis may have underestimated risks as reports were only available for cases.
Although there was evidence of some bias in our original risk estimates, re-analysis of the cohort with additional clinical data still showed an increased cancer risk after low-dose radiation exposure from CT scans in young patients.
Non-thermal emerging technologies in the sector of food processing have often been cited by researchers as an alternative to conventionally heat treatments for food processing in order to develop ...safe foods with minimal damage to nutritional and sensory properties. Non-thermal emerging technologies for foods processing have been widely developed in Europe and U.S.A. However, the interest in these technologies and commercialisation opportunities started catching up in Latin America. Thus, this review describes the basic principles and main effect of this technologies in the food and the recent scientific reports on its applications and potential advantages of the so-called non-thermal emerging technologies like ultrasound, high hydrostatic pressure, pulsed electric field, ionising radiation and atmospheric cold plasma, as alternative food preservation process. This review focuses on the current status in Latin America of novel non-thermal food processing technologies, highlighting the limits for scaling up to industrial level in order to be commercially successful.
•Development of emerging non-thermal technologies for food processing in Latin America•Constraints for scaling up to industrial level in order to be commercially successful are discussed.•Emerging technologies maintaining sensorial properties and nutritional value in foodstuffs•Consumer's better understanding of emerging technologies could increase their demand.
Extracellular vesicles (EVs), through their cargo, are important mediators of bystander responses in the irradiated bone marrow (BM). MiRNAs carried by EVs can potentially alter cellular pathways in ...EV-recipient cells by regulating their protein content. Using the CBA/Ca mouse model, we characterised the miRNA content of BM-derived EVs from mice irradiated with 0.1 Gy or 3 Gy using an nCounter analysis system. We also analysed proteomic changes in BM cells either directly irradiated or treated with EVs derived from the BM of irradiated mice. Our aim was to identify key cellular processes in the EV-acceptor cells regulated by miRNAs. The irradiation of BM cells with 0.1 Gy led to protein alterations involved in oxidative stress and immune and inflammatory processes. Oxidative stress-related pathways were also present in BM cells treated with EVs isolated from 0.1 Gy-irradiated mice, indicating the propagation of oxidative stress in a bystander manner. The irradiation of BM cells with 3 Gy led to protein pathway alterations involved in the DNA damage response, metabolism, cell death and immune and inflammatory processes. The majority of these pathways were also altered in BM cells treated with EVs from mice irradiated with 3 Gy. Certain pathways (cell cycle, acute and chronic myeloid leukaemia) regulated by miRNAs differentially expressed in EVs isolated from mice irradiated with 3 Gy overlapped with protein pathway alterations in BM cells treated with 3 Gy EVs. Six miRNAs were involved in these common pathways interacting with 11 proteins, suggesting the involvement of miRNAs in the EV-mediated bystander processes. In conclusion, we characterised proteomic changes in directly irradiated and EV-treated BM cells, identified processes transmitted in a bystander manner and suggested miRNA and protein candidates potentially involved in the regulation of these bystander processes.
Brachytherapy is
a mature treatment modality that has benefited from technological advances. Treatment planning has advanced
from simple lookup tables to complex, computer-based dose-calculation ...algorithms.
The current approach is based on the AAPM TG-43 formalism with recent advances in
acquiring single-source dose distributions. However, this formalism has clinically relevant
limitations for calculating patient dose.
Dose-calculation
algorithms are being developed based on Monte Carlo methods, collapsed cone, and solving the linear
Boltzmann transport equation. In addition to improved dose-calculation tools,
planning systems and brachytherapy
treatment planning
will account for material heterogeneities, scatter conditions, radiobiology, and
image guidance.
The AAPM, ESTRO, and other professional societies are working to coordinate clinical
integration of these advancements. This Vision 20/20 article provides insight into these
endeavors.
•MAIRE and CARI-7 modelling of cosmic radiation doses for Very High Altitude ‘Near Space’ Tourism observation balloon flights, and Space Weather enhancements.•Comparison of SAIRA radiation detector ...flight data and modelled Very High Altitude ‘Near Space’ Tourism flights.•Radiation risk assessment of Very High Altitude flights for a number of launch locations to a maximum flight altitude of 30 km (100,000 ft).
Within the next decade it is likely that the space tourism industry will grow dramatically and the number of humans travelling into, and beyond, the stratosphere via commercial entities such as World View and Space Perspective will increase. Current space tourism ventures focus on long duration very high altitude balloon flights; also known as ‘near space’ flights, sub-orbital flights and visits to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). In the next few decades space tourism is ultimately likely to become routine. During these new commercial ventures the effects of cosmic radiation exposure, especially during sudden changes in space weather, such as ground level enhancement (GLE) events, could have significant health implications for crew and passengers. The risks from these rapid changes in space weather and potential radiation exposure during flights is not currently fully understood or even acknowledged. Legislation and regulation for such enterprises is also in its infancy with little or no guidance for commercial entities or potential passengers. Initial work at the University of Surrey has focused on very high altitude ‘near space’ balloon flights. World-wide launch locations for flights have been modelled using MAIRE and CARI-7 computer programs. Flight routes have been monitored, for current commercial and higher flight levels, using the Smart Atmospheric Ionizing Radiation (SAIRA) detector. The modelled flight profiles have been compared with detector data, up to a maximum flight altitude of 30 km (100,000 ft), with varying space weather conditions, from norms to extreme events, to assess the radiation risk presented by potential exposure.
Plain Language Summary: An assessment of the risks and potential radiation exposure from flying to ‘near space’ within newly designed observation balloons at very high altitude in the upper atmosphere above the Earth. Looking at the impact of radiation from the sun and sources outside the solar system, and critically when these conditions vary which could result in high levels of exposure.
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