Low-Energy Laser-Driven Ultrashort Pulsed Electron Beam Irradiation-Induced Immune Response in Rats

Abstract

The development of new laser-driven electron linear accelerators, providing unique ultrashort pulsed electron beams (UPEBs) with low repetition rates, opens new opportunities for radiotherapy and new fronts for radiobiological research in general. Considering the growing interest in the application of UPEBs in radiation biology and medicine, the aim of this study was to reveal the changes in immune system in response to low-energy laser-driven UPEB whole-body irradiation in rodents. Forty male albino Wistar rats were exposed to laser-driven UPEB irradiation, after which different immunological parameters were studied on the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 28th day after irradiation. According to the results, this type of irradiation induces alterations in the rat immune system, particularly by increasing the production of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and elevating the DNA damage rate. Moreover, such an immune response reaches its maximal levels on the third day after laser-driven UPEB whole-body irradiation, showing partial recovery on subsequent days with a total recovery on the 28th day. The results of this study provide valuable insight into the effect of laser-driven UPEB whole-body irradiation on the immune system of the animals and support further animal experiments on the role of this novel type of irradiation.

The Effect of Low-Energy Laser-Driven Ultrashort Pulsed Electron Beam Irradiation on Erythropoiesis and Oxidative Stress in Rats

“…This indicated a low level of serum ferritin; i.e., roughly or less than 1000 ng/mL [ 58 ]. It is worth to mentioning here that, in the case of irradiation of rats with gamma irradiation, a more pronounced degree of maximum aplasia in the hematopoietic tissue has been reported previously [ 42 ].…”

“…Recently, we demonstrated that the use of laser-driven UPEBs greatly mitigates and reduces the effects of whole-body radiation of the animals [ 42 ]. Specifically, in that study we did not detect any complete or even partial long-term emptying of hematopoietic cells.…”

“…Specifically, in that study we did not detect any complete or even partial long-term emptying of hematopoietic cells. In the bone marrow, only a 10–15 percent decrease in the total cell count was revealed [ 42 ]. This phenomenon was of a short-term nature and completely disappeared from 3 days after irradiation.…”

“…Whole-body irradiation was delivered at 10:00–11:00 AM with a dose of 2 Gy and a repetition rate of 2 Hz, as described previously [ 42 ]. As an irradiation source, the laser-driven UPEB from the Advanced Research Electron Accelerator Laboratory (AREAL) facility was used, as developed at the Center for the Advancement of Natural Discoveries using Light Emission (CANDLE) Synchrotron Research Institute, Yerevan, Armenia.…”

“…As an irradiation source, the laser-driven UPEB from the Advanced Research Electron Accelerator Laboratory (AREAL) facility was used, as developed at the Center for the Advancement of Natural Discoveries using Light Emission (CANDLE) Synchrotron Research Institute, Yerevan, Armenia. The details and procedure for the radiation treatment, the characteristics of the AREAL accelerator, the dose calibration measurements, and the uniformity quality assurance have been described previously [ 1 , 2 , 32 , 35 , 42 , 66 ].…”