Late and persistent up-regulation of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression by ionizing radiation in human endothelial cells in vitro

• Published in: International journal of radiation biology 1997, Vol.72 (2), p.201-209
• Main Author: GAUGLER, C. SQUIBAN, A. VAN DER MEEREN, J.-M. BERTHO, M. VANDAMME and M.-A. MOUTHON, M.-H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biological effects of radiation; E-Selectin - metabolism; Endothelium, Vascular - metabolism; Endothelium, Vascular - radiation effects; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 - biosynthesis; Interleukin-6 - metabolism; Ionizing radiations; Radiation, Ionizing; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Solubility; Space life sciences; Tissues, organs and organisms biophysics; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Up-Regulation - radiation effects; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 - metabolism
• ISSN: 0955-3002; 1362-3095
• DOI: 10.1080/095530097143428

Adhesion molecules play a key role in cellular traffic through vascular endothelium, in particular during the inflammatory response when leukocytes migrate from blood into tissues. Since inflammation is one of the major consequences of radiation injury, we investigated the effect of ionizing radiation on cellsurface expression of the intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), the vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and E-selectin in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Flow cytometry performed on irradiated HUVEC revealed both a time- (from 2 to 10 days) and dose- (from 2 to 10 Gy) dependent up-regulation of basal expression of ICAM-1, and no induction of VCAM-1 or E-selectin. The radiationinduced increase in ICAM-1 expression on HUVEC was correlated with augmented adhesion of neutrophils on irradiated endothelial cells. Interleukin-6 (Il-6) or other soluble factors released by irradiation were not involved in the enhanced ICAM-1 expression by irradiation. Northern blot analysis showed an overexpression of ICAM-1 mRNA from 1 to 6 days after a 10 Gy exposure. Our data suggest that ICAM-1 participates in the radiation-induced inflammatory reaction of the endothelium.