COMPARISON OF INTERLEUKIN-1-ALPHA GENE-EXPRESSION AND PROTEIN-LEVELS IN THE MURINE SPLEEN AFTER LETHAL AND SUBLETHAL TOTAL-BODY IRRADIATION

To understand the effects of ionizing radiation on the production of IL-1 alpha in vivo within a hematopoietic organ, we evaluated acute changes in splenic IL-1 alpha mRNA and IL-1 alpha protein after exposing B6D2F(1) mice to lethal and sublethal Co-60 radiation, Results suggest that in vivo, ionizing radiation induces a time-and dose-dependent accumulation of IL-l alpha mRNA in the mouse spleen after exposure to gamma radiation. Time-dependent increases in the level of IL-1 alpha protein were also observed, although the magnitude of increased protein expression did not complement the magnitude of the accumulation of the message, Selective concentration of cells producing IL-1 alpha does not appear to account completely for the increase in splenic IL-1 alpha mRNA observed in this in vivo system. (C) 1995 by Radiation Research Society