Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Radiation proctitis affects 1-20% of cancer patients undergoing radiation exposure due to pelvic malignancies, including prostate, gynecological and rectum cancers. The patients manifest rectal discomfort, pain, discharge, and bleeding. Notably, the efficacy of prophylactic measures remains controversial due to the lack of adequate animal models that mimic this condition.Objective
The present study then aimed to develop a murine model of high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy-induced proctitis.Material/methods
C57BL/6 male mice were subjected to HDR (radiation source: iridium-192 [Ir-192]) through a cylindrical propylene tube inserted 2 cm far from the anal verge into the rectum. The animals received radiation doses once a day for three consecutive days (fractions of 9.5 Grays [Gy]), 3.0 mm far from the applicator surface. The sham group received only the applicator with no radiation source. The survival rate was recorded, and a colonoscopy was performed to confirm the tissue lesion development. Following euthanasia, samples of the rectum were collected for histopathology, cytokines dosage (IL-6 and KC), and immunohistochemical analysis (TNF-α and COX-2).Results
HDR significantly reduced animals' survival ten days post first radiation exposure (14% survival vs. 100% in the non-irradiated group). Day seven was then used for further investigation. Mice exposed to radiation presented with rectum injury confirmed by colonoscopy and histopathology (P < 0.05 vs. the control group). The tissue damage was accompanied by an inflammatory response, marked by increased KC and IL-6 tissue levels, and immunostaining for TNF-α and COX-2 (P < 0.05 vs. control group).Conclusions
We established a novel animal model of actinic proctitis induced by HDR brachytherapy, marked by inflammatory damage and low animal mortality.
SUBMITTER: Leite CHB
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8909144 | biostudies-literature | 2022
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

Leite Carlos Heli Bezerra CHB Lopes Carlos Diego Holanda CDH Leite Caio Abner Vitorino Gonçalves CAVG Terceiro Dulce Andrade DA Lima Gabriel Silva GS Freitas Jéssica Andrade JA Cunha Fernando Queiroz FQ Almeida Paulo Roberto Carvalho PRC Wong Deysi Viviana Tenazoa DVT Lima-Júnior Roberto César Pereira RCP
Frontiers in oncology 20220223
<h4>Background</h4>Radiation proctitis affects 1-20% of cancer patients undergoing radiation exposure due to pelvic malignancies, including prostate, gynecological and rectum cancers. The patients manifest rectal discomfort, pain, discharge, and bleeding. Notably, the efficacy of prophylactic measures remains controversial due to the lack of adequate animal models that mimic this condition.<h4>Objective</h4>The present study then aimed to develop a murine model of high-dose-rate (HDR) brachyther ...[more]