p53 Nuclear Accumulation as a Possible Biomarker for Biological Radio-dosimetry in Oral Mucosal Epithelial Cells

Cellular response to ionizing radiation is affected by cell types, radiation doses, and post-irradiation time. Based on the trypan blue dye exclusion assay in normal oral mucosal cells (OM cells), a 48 h post-irradiation was sufficient and an adequate time point for the evaluation of radiation sensitivity. Its LD ₅₀ was approximately 1.83 Gy. To investigate possible biomarkers useful for the biological radiodosimetry of normal epithelial cells (p53, c-fos, cyclin D1, cdc-2, pRb) EGF receptor phosphorylation and Erk activation were evaluated at different radiation doses and different post-irradiation times. From 0.5 Gy, p53 was accumulated in the nucleus of basal cells of the OM raft culture at 4 h post-irradiation and sustained up to 24 h post-irradiation, which suggests that radiation-induced apoptosis or damage repair was not yet completed. The number of p53 positive cells and biosynthesis of p53 were correlated with radiation doses. Both cyclin D1 and c-fos were only transiently induced within 1 h post-irradiation. Cyclin D1 was induced at all radiation doses. However, c-fos induction was highest at 0.1 Gy, approximately 7.3 fold more induction than the control, whose induction was reduced in a reverse correlation with radiation dose. The phosphorylation pattern of cdc-2 and pRb were unaffected by radiation. In contrast to A431 cells overexpressing the EGF receptor approximately 8.5 fold higher than normal epithelial, the OM cells reduced the basal level of the EGF receptor phosphorylation in a radiation dose dependent fashion. In conclusion, among radiation-induced biomolecules, the p53 nuclear accumulation may be considered for the future development of a useful marker for biological radio-dosimetry in normal epithelial tissue since it was sustained for a longer period and showed a dose response relationship. Specific c-fos induction at a low dose may also be an important finding in this study. It needs to be studied further for the elucidation of its possible connection with the low dose radio-adaptive response.