Response of EDAG knockout mice to low-dose radiation-induced damage / 军事医学

ABSTRACT

Objective To generate the erythroid differentiation associated gene(EDAG) knockout mice and analyze their sensitivity to low dose radiation-induced damage.Methods Zinc finger nuclease technology ( ZFNs ) was used to produce the EDAG knockout mice.The low dose radiation-induced damage was evaluated by peripheral blood cell counts, DNA damage and colony formation of bone marrow cells.Wild-type and EDAG knockout mice were irradiated with 0.31 Gy/min X-ray, one minute per day for seven consecutive days, and the cumulative radiation dose was 2.17 Gy(n=7).The blood cell counts were measured by an automated hemocytometer.DNA damage was detected by immunofluorescence assay with a DNA damage marker p-H2A.x antibody (n=3).The colony formation ability of bone marrow cells was evaluated with a semi-solid culture medium(n=3).Results A model of EDAG knockout mice was established.Compared to wide type mice, white blood cell counts of EDAG knockout mice decreased significantly while the DNA damage marker p-H2A.x expression was increased on the third day after X-ray irradiation.The ability of colony-forming was reduced after 7 days of X-ray irradiation.Conclusion Our present study found that EDAG knockout mice are more sensitive to low dose radiation-induced damage as shown by decreased peripheral blood cells counts, reduced colony-forming ability of bone marrow cells, and increased DNA damage.These results suggest that EDAG knockout mice can serve as a powerful tool for evaluation of the biological effects of low-dose radiation damage.