Radiation induced inflammatory changes in the XXXX bladder: the role of cyclooxygenase-2.

@entity19 @entity10178
PURPOSE: We assessed the effect of irradiation on @entity10178 expression in blood vessels of the @entity19 bladder wall during the early and late radiation response phases. Vasodilatation was quantified as an additional marker of inflammation related to @entity10178 activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Female C3H/Neu @entity19 were irradiated with a single dose of 20 Gy. The intensity of the @entity10178 immunohistochemical staining signal was assessed using an arbitrary semiquantitative score of 0 to 3. To evaluate vasodilatation the percent of the bladder wall covered by the lumen of the blood vessels, depicted as vascular area, was determined. RESULTS: Constitutive @entity10178 expression was found in the tunica intima and media of bladder blood vessels. During the early response significant biphasic changes were detected in the @entity10178 staining signal as well as in the vascular area with peak values on days 4 and 16 after irradiation. A significant association was found between vascular area and @entity10178 expression in blood vessels during the early radiation response (p <0.0001). No changes in @entity10178 expression were observed during the late phase, that is between days 90 and 360 after irradiation. Minor vasodilatation seen during the late phase did not correlate with @entity10178 activity. CONCLUSIONS: Irradiation resulted in pronounced @entity10178 dependent inflammatory changes in the bladder wall during the early but not during the late radiation reaction. Therefore, a potential effect of @entity10178 inhibition on early radiation side effects in the bladder can be proposed.
