Ionizing radiation effects on the KG1a primitive hematopoietic cell line

Purpose: Better understanding of radiation-induced effects on the hematopoietic system is important in both the context of therapeutic intervention and accidental exposure. However, direct study of these effects on the hematopoietic stem cell pool is hampered by the small number of accessible cells. We, thus, studied radiation-induced effects on the KG1a stem cell line. Methods and Materials: We confirmed and extended the immunophenotype of KG1a with monoclonal antibodies, established a radiation survival curve, and quantified mRNAs by Northern blotting 30 min after 1, 2, and 3 Gy of ionizing radiation (IR) and followed for up to 48 h after a 3 Gy dose. Cell cycle status and apoptosis were assessed by fluorescent-activated cell sorter (FAGS) analysis, cell morphology, and DNA fragmentation, Results: KG1a was found to be CD34+, CD7+, Thy1 low, CD38 low, lineage negative (neg), C-KITneg and HLA-DRneg, a phenotype consistent with a primitive hematopoietic origin. This immunophenotype was not altered by x-ray irradiation. The D-0 value was 1.75 Gy. We showed a time-dependent variation of c-jun mRNA expression with an early and transient dose-dependent induction followed by a second increase at 24 and 48 h: a biphasic dose-dependent variation of bcl-2 expression 30 min after irradiation with a reduction of mRNA level at 1 Gy, and a normalization at higher doses and stable levels of mRNA for c-fos, c-myc, G-CSF, GM-CSF, IL-6, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta, and MIP-1 alpha genes. Cell cycle analysis showed the absence of G1/S phase arrest, a point consistent with the absence of detection of P53 mRNA by Northern blot analysis. The dose dependent G2/M phase arrest was not followed by significant apoptotic cell death. Conclusion: Taken together, this data indicates that radiation-induced cell death of KG1a, a cell line that has a relatively high D-0 value, does not seem to be the result of the apoptotic pathway but occurs subsequent to a G2/M phase arrest.