Modeling of acute radiation syndrome in experiment

The aim of the current study was to create a new and easily reproducible method of modeling acute radiation syndrome, representing the features of the clinical flow of this disease. Materials and Methods: A series of experiments on Wistar rats, both genders (nursery “Rappolovo” (Leningrad region), weight 180–220 g), were performed. Rats were divided into groups and one time exposed at the investigated dose (range of 6–10 Gy) on Elekta Precise accelerator using Solid Water HE (Sun Nuclear) 30×30 cm2 phantom plates. The duration of animal observation was 30 days. Survival, mean lifespan, body weight dynamics, feed and water consumption, state of visible mucous membranes, hair coat and mobility were evaluated. Results and Discussion: The results showed that the proposed model of single exposure of laboratory rats demonstrates a good level of results reproducibility and complies with the basic requirements for experimental models. The lethality of rats within 30 days was 75% with a dose of 8 Gy, the 100% lethality of rats was with a dose of 10 Gy. The results are successfully reproduced in repeated experiments. Conclusion: The obtained data indicated that the proposed model is reliable and can be used for preclinical studies of radioprotectors without existing models’ problem of variability of results.

1. Grebenyuk AN. Current status and prospects for the development of drugs for the prevention and early treatment of radiation injuries. Radiatsionnaya biologia. Radioekologiya = Radiation biology. Radioecology. 2019;59(2): 132-149 (In Russian).

2. Mohammad Zahid Kamran, Atul Ranjan, Navrinder Kaur, Souvik Sur, Vibha Tandon. Radioprotective Agents: Strategies and Translational Advances. Medicinal research reviews. 2016;36(3): 461-493. DOI: 10.1002/med.21386.

3. Saaya FM, Katsube T, Xie Y, Tanaka K, Fujita K, Wang B. Research and development of radioprotective agents: a mini-review. International Journal of Radiology. 2017;4(2–3): 128–138.

4. Smith TA, Kirkpatrick DR, Smith S, Smith TK, Pearson T, Kailasam A, et al. Radioprotective agents to prevent cellular damage due to ionizing radiation. The Journal of Translational Medicine. 2017;15: 232. – DOI: 10.1186/s12967-017-1338-x.

5. Singh VK, Seed TM. A review of radiation countermeasures focusing on injury-specific medicinals and regulatory approval status: part I. Radiation sub-syndromes, animal models and FDA-approved countermeasures. The International Journal of Radiation Biology. 2017;93(9): 1–19. DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2017.1332438.

6. Gudkov SV. Radioprotective substances: history, trends and prospects // Biofizika = Biophysics. 2015;60(4): 801-811. (In Russian).

7. Vasin MV. The drug B-190 (indralin) in light of the history of the formation of ideas about the mechanism of action of radioprotectors. Radiatsionnaya biologia. Radioekologiya = Radiation biology. Radioecology. 2020;60(4): 378-395 (In Russian).

8. Rosen EM, Day R, Singh VK. New approaches to radiation protection. Frontiers in oncology. 2015;4: 381. DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2014.00381.

9. Ivanov AA, Grigoriev AI, Ushakov IB, Sinyak YuE. Treatment for acute radiation sickness. Russian Federation patent RU 2498807; 2012 Nov 20 (In Russian).

10. Gaynutdinov TR. Selection of the optimal model of two-factor pathology caused by thermal damage against the background of external gamma irradiation. Veterinarnyi vrach = Veterinarian. 2021;1: 4-9 (In Russian).

11. Bogachev SS, Dolgova EV, Potter EA, Proskurina AS, Nikolas VP, Ritter GS. Ability to protect animals from high-dose ionizing radiation. Russian Federation patent RU 2701155; 2019 Sep 25 (In Russian).

12. Kotenko KV, Bushmanov AYu, Ivanov AA. Method of prevention and treatment of acute radiation sickness in an experiment. Russian Federation patent RU 2551619; 2015 May 27 (In Russian).

13. Sanja T, Dobrić S, Dragojević-Simić VJV, Milovanović Z, Dordević A. Tissue-protective effects of fullerenol C60(OH)24 and amifostine in irradiated rats. Colloids and surfaces. B Biointerfaces. 2007;58(1): 39-43. DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2007.01.005.

14. Xiaoqing C, Hao J, Zhang X, Bozhang Yu, Jinming R, Cheng L, et al. The polyhydroxylated fullerene derivative C60(OH)24 protects mice from ionizing-radiation-induced immune and mitochondrial dysfunction. Toxicology and applied pharmacology. 2010.;243(1): 27-34. DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2009.11.009.

15. Official website of the Branch of the National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute" St. PINM – LAN "Rappolovo". Available from: https://rappolovo.org/ [Accessed 2025 Apr 9]. (In Russian).

16. Kostesha NYa, Darenskaya NG. Tomsk Intestinal form of radiation sickness and the role of stomach damage in its development. Tomsk University Publishing House; 1990. P. 123. (In Russian).

17. Toroptsev IV, Sokolova NV. Pathologic anatomy of acute radiation sickness in experiment. Izvestiya Tomskogo Ordena Trudovogo Krasnogo Znameni Politekhnicheskogo Instituta Imeni S.M. Kirova = Proceedings of the Tomsk Order of the Red Banner of Labor Polytechnic Institute named after S.M. Kirov. 1957;57: 17-27. (In Russian).

18. Maistrenko DN, Molchanov OE, Popova AA, Nikolaev DN, Vinogradova YN, Popova EA, et al. inventors; Method for modeling acute radiation sickness in an experiment. Russian Federation patent RU 2811270; 2024 Jan 11 (In Russian).