[ RadSafe ] "low dose radiation slows down cardiovascular disease"

Fri Feb 18 02:17:59 CST 2011

It is not clear from this report whether there was a control group of
"genetically modified" mice that did not receive any radiation dose.

Without that its just a comparison of the effects of low and high dose rates
at cardiovascular disease.

Yannis Pantos

2011/2/17 John R Johnson <idias at interchange.ubc.ca>

> Jerry
>
> In Canada it is the ICRP & the CNSC.
>
> An past scientist at CRNL (now CRL)
>
> John
> ***************
> John R Johnson, PhD
> CEO, IDIAS, Inc.
> 4535 West 9th Ave
> Vancouver, B. C.
> V6R 2E2, Canada
> idias at interchange.ubc.ca
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jerry Cohen" <jjc105 at yahoo.com>
> To: "The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List"
> <radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu>
> Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2011 10:06 AM
> Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] "low dose radiation slows down cardiovascular
> disease"
>
>
>
>  Open letter to Researchers at the Chalk River Laboratories.
>>
>> Don't you people realize that radiation is bad, bad, bad for everyone at
>> all
>> dose levels greater than zero!! If you persist in this work, you might
>> endanger
>> the enormous levels of research funding for low-dose biological effects,
>> and
>> will surely find yourselves on the ICRP &  NCRP's enemies list.
>>
>> Consider yourselves warned ;-)      Jerry Cohen
>>
>>
>>
>> ________________________________
>> From: "Franta, Jaroslav" <frantaj at aecl.ca>
>> To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
>> Sent: Thu, February 17, 2011 6:19:50 AM
>> Subject: [ RadSafe ] "low dose radiation slows down cardiovascular
>> disease"
>>
>> UNRESTRICTED | ILLIMITÉ
>>
>> Interesting research suggesting radiation hormesis.....
>>
>>
>> Sent: February 17, 2011 8:34 AM
>> Subject: [cdn-nucl-l] Innovative radiobiology at Chalk River
>>
>> FYI, this article was recently prepared by our biological research group
>> at
>> Chalk River Laboratories.  It’s a good example of the cutting-edge R&D
>> that
>> takes place here, with benefits for all Canadians.
>> Jeremy Whitlock
>>
>> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> In the Hearts of Mice and Men
>>
>> The Biological Research Facility (BRF) at Chalk River Laboratories is a
>> globally
>> unique facility. Within the BRF, animal (rodent) and animal tissue-based
>> research is undertaken to study the biological effects of radiation.
>>
>> One project is a major, ongoing collaborative study that began in 2006 and
>> is
>> supported by the research program of the Commission of the European Union.
>> AECL
>> is one of many partners in this project, which includes 16 European
>> universities
>> and laboratories, McMaster University, Health Canada and the Ottawa Heart
>> Institute.
>>
>> One of the main objectives of our research is to determine the effects of
>> low
>> dose, gamma-radiation on the development and progression of cardiovascular
>> disease (atherosclerosis) in mice. The mice used for heart research are
>> genetically modified so that they will develop heart disease.
>> Understanding what
>> is happening in mice will increase our understanding of the consequences
>> of
>> exposure to low radiation doses in humans - such as doses commonly
>> employed in
>> diagnostic radiography and those incurred by radiation workers.
>>
>> Atherosclerosis is a disease that is caused by the deposition of “fatty
>> plaques”
>> within arteries, including those in and around the heart. These plaques
>> cause
>> decreased blood flow to organs in the body, and angina in the heart. Also,
>> they
>> may block arteries causing heart attacks and strokes.
>>
>> Mice were exposed either at early stages of the disease or at late stages
>> of the
>> disease to low doses of radiation. Different dose rates were used to
>> reproduce
>> both acute (short) and chronic (prolonged) irradiations.
>>
>> At three months or six months post-exposure, the hearts and aortas of the
>> mice
>> were examined to determine the severity of the atherosclerotic lesions.
>> Blood
>> samples were also collected and tested for cholesterol levels. The
>> atherosclerotic lesions were analyzed for size, severity and number.
>>
>> While there were some differences between the effects produced by low and
>> high
>> dose rate exposures, and by exposures given at early and late stages of
>> the
>> disease, the effects seen were found to be generally protective, rather
>> than
>> damaging. Low doses of gamma-radiation resulted in fewer, smaller and less
>> severe plaques.
>>
>>
>> When higher doses of radiation were used these apparently beneficial
>> effects
>> disappeared and it is generally recognised that high radiation doses harm
>> the
>> heart and its arteries. How low dose radiation slows down cardiovascular
>> disease
>> is not yet clear, but it’s likely to be related to its anti-inflammatory
>> effects.
>>
>> An interesting consequence of this work is that the beneficial effects of
>> low
>> dose radiation on arteries, if confirmed in humans (and there is some
>> evidence
>> to suggest this may be so), may more than counter any shortened life
>> expectancy
>> from a small increased risk of cancer.
>>
>> Nick Priest
>> Manager, Radiation Protection Research & Instrumentation
>>
>> Michelle Bugden
>> BRF Technologist
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
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>>
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>>
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