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Adaptive radiation-induced epigenetic alterations mitigated by antioxidants

  • Autumn J. Bernal
    ,
  • Dana C. Dolinoy
    ,
  • Dale Huang
    ,
  • David A. Skaar
    ,
  • Caren Weinhouse
    ,
  • Randy L. Jirtle
  • Duke University
    ,
  • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
    ,
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Sustainable Development Goals

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well

Abstract

Humans are exposed to low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR) from a number of environmental and medical sources. In addition to inducing genetic mutations, there is concern that LDIR may also alter the epigenome. Such heritable effects early in life can either be positively adaptive or result in the enhanced formation of diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Herein, we show that LDIR significantly increased DNA methylation at the viable yellow agouti (A(vy)) locus in a sex-specific manner (P=0.004). Average DNA methylation was significantly increased in male offspring exposed to doses between 0.7 and 7.6 cGy, with maximum effects at 1.4 and 3.0 cGy (P<0.01). Offspring coat color was concomitantly shifted toward pseudoagouti (P<0.01). Maternal dietary antioxidant supplementation mitigated both the DNA methylation changes and coat color shift in the irradiated offspring. Thus, LDIR exposure during gestation elicits epigenetic alterations that lead to positive adaptive phenotypic changes that are negated with antioxidants, indicating they are mediated in part by oxidative stress. These findings provide evidence that in the isogenic A(vy) mouse model, epigenetic alterations resulting from LDIR play a role in radiation hormesis, bringing into question the assumption that every dose of radiation is harmful.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 665-671 (7 pages)

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

FASEB Journal (Volume 27, Issue 2)

Publication milestones

  • Published - 01/01/2012

Publication status

Published - 01/01/2012

ISSN

0892-6638

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/296188
  • Scopus: 84873448566
  • PubMed: 23118028

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