PMID: 9166456May 1, 1995Paper

Intravenous basic fibroblast growth factor protects the lung but not mediastinal organs against radiation-induced apoptosis in vivo

The Cancer Journal From Scientific American
Z FuksC Cordon-Cardo

Abstract

We evaluated the therapeutic potential of intravenously injected basic fibroblast growth factor against the lethal syndromes associated with irradiation of intrathoracic organs and assessed whether such protection might be associated with inhibition of programmed cell death (apoptosis) in the exposed tissues. C3H/HeJ and C3H/scid mice received either whole-chest, mediastinal, or bilateral lung irradiation. Human recombinant basic fibroblast growth factor was injected intravenously at doses of 400 ng immediately before and after irradiation, and then at 1 hour and 2 hours later. Time-adjusted survival was calculated from the date of irradiation by the product-limit Kaplan-Meier method. Detection of apoptotic changes in paraffin sections was performed by the DNA terminal transferase nick-end translation method. Basic fibroblast growth factor protected the lungs but not other intrathoracic organs against radiation-induced damage. When radiation was restricted to the lungs, the LD50/180 from radiation pneumonitis was 20.75 Gy and increased to 23.0 Gy in basic fibroblast growth factor-treated mice. When the whole thorax was irradiated, basic fibroblast growth factor partially protected against pneumonitis at the low range of radiati...Continue Reading

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