Tissue Raman Spectroscopy for the Study of Radiation Damage: Brain Irradiation of Mice

Abstract

Radiotherapy is routinely employed in the treatment of head and neck cancers. Acute cell death, radiation-activated chemical cascades, and the induction of genes coding for protective factors like cytokines are considered to be the major processes involved in radiation damage and repair. It should be possible to follow these processes by monitoring the biochemical interactions initiated by radiation. We have carried out Raman spectroscopy studies on tissue from mice subjected to brain irradiation to identify the biochemical changes occurring in tissue and brain as a result of radiation injury. These studies show that brain irradiation produces drastic spectral changes even in tissue far removed from the irradiation site. The changes are very similar to those produced by the stress of inoculation and restraint and the administration of an anesthetic drug. While the changes produced by stress or anesthetics last for only a short time (a few hours to 1 or 2 days), radiation-induced changes persist even after 1 week. The spectral changes can be interpreted in terms of the observation of new spectra that are dominated by bands due to proteins. The results thus support the hypothesis that various protective factors are released throughout the body when the central nervous system (CNS) is exposed to radiation.

Biochemical correlation of Raman spectra of normal, benign and malignant breast tissues: A spectral deconvolution study

“…We have explored classical spectral deconvolution analysis to understand biochemical differences due to radiation induced effects in mouse models 31 and oral tissues. 25,32 We have also explored this approach for autofluorescence spectra of breast 33 and oral tissues.…”

Spectroscopic and chemometric approaches to radiobiological analyses

“…Such studies continue to contribute to the understanding of the interaction mechanisms between radiation and key molecular species and structures within the cell [48][49][50][51]. These investigations have since evolved to Raman spectroscopic studies of the effects of in-vitro proton irradiation of excised tissues [52], and radiotherapeutically irradiated (γ-radiation) tissue specimens [53][54][55]. Other studies with bacteria have investigated the effects of γ-radiation on Deinococcus radiodurans [56], Kocuria rosea [57]and Micrococcus luteus [58] with FTIR spectroscopy.…”

Confocal raman microspectroscopy : applications in cartilage tissue engineering

“…2A). Raman bands of the mean spectrasuch as bands of phenylalanine (C-C aromatic ring) at 1001 cm -1 [32], lipids/proteins (CH 2 bending mode) at 1448 cm -1 [33], amide I at 1657 cm -1 [34] and lipids (CH stretch of lipids) at 2924 cm -1 [35] -were identified and assigned. We found that the Raman band at 2924 cm in intensity with increased passage number.…”

“…It has already been shown that there is a relation between cell aggregation and enhanced cartilaginous tissue formation [34][35]. The rationale behind these methods are: (1) that chondrocyte phenotype is stabilized in the aggregate; and (2) that tissue engineered cartilage can be created without supportive carriers, such as polymers or gels in the form of a scaffold [36][37].…”

“…Ascorbic acid can influence the collagen production of chondrocytes by modulating steady-state procollagen mRNA levels [34], as well as through posttranslational processing of procollagen [35]. The increasing amount of collagen could be the effect of proline and ascorbic acid added to the medium, since specific differentiation growth factors, such -3 was not used in this study.…”