Nitric oxide-mediated bystander signal transduction induced by heavy-ion microbeam irradiation

Tomita, Masanori*; Matsumoto, Hideki*; Funayama, Tomoo; Yokota, Yuichiro; Otsuka, Kensuke*; Maeda, Munetoshi*; Kobayashi, Yasuhiko

A radiation-induced bystander response is generally known as a cellular response induced in unirradiated cell by receiving bystander signaling factors released from directly irradiated cells of a cell population. Bystander responses induced by high-LET heavy ions at low fluence are an important problem concerning the health of astronauts in the space environment. Here we set out NO-mediated bystander signal transductions induced by high-LET heavy-ion microbeam irradiation in normal human fibroblasts. Our findings suggest that Akt- and NF-B-dependent signaling pathway involving COX-2 plays an important role in the NO-mediated high-LET heavy-ion-induced bystander responses. Additionally, COX-2 may be used as a molecular marker of high-LET heavy-ion-induced bystander cells, which are distinguish form directly irradiated cells.