Problems of Radiation Medicine and Radiobiology

Features of cellular effects of combined exposure to ionizing radiation and copper ions

D. D. Hapieienko
State Institution “National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of MedicalSciences of Ukraine”, Melnykov str., 53, Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine

The constant increase in the scale of the use of chemicals and ionizing radiation in various industries, medicine and science increases their impact on all environmental components. Therefore, the probability of simultaneous effects of radiation and chemical factors on biological objects is growing. In this regard the issue of combined exposure to different by virtue of the nature factors is becoming more and more challenging.
The objective of the work was to investigate the characteristics of the individual and combined effects of ionizing radiation and copper salts on cell viability in vitro.
Materials and methods. The research involved inoculated cell culture line L929. Copper acetate (Cu(CH3COOH)2) was added to the cell culture 1 hour after irradiation. Irradiation of the cells was performed 24 hours after passaging. Proliferative activity of the cells was assessed by growth kinetics.
Study results showed the cytotoxicity of copper ions at concentration of 1 ?mol/L. A combined effect of ionizing radiation in sublethal doses and copper ions at a concentration of 0.001 and 1 ?mol/L led to the increased number of atypical polykaryocytes.
Conclusions. Both activation and inhibition of cell proliferation and mitotic activity occurs after the incubation of cells with copper ions at various concentrations. Cellular survival and mitotic activity decrease along with radiation dose elevation. Index of polykaryocytes at that is elevated. The altered morphological and functional properties of the cells were found in combined exposure to ionizing radiation and copper ions in vitro. They were not directly proportional either to a dose of irradiation or concentration of copper ions.

Key words: heavy metals, ionizing radiation, cell culture, survival, proliferation, mitosis.

Problems of radiation medicine and radiobiology. 2013;18:305–312.