Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H Planel

Publications and source records attributed to H Planel.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Effect of a continuous gamma irradiation at a very low dose on the life span of mice.

BACKGROUND: There is epidemiological evidence that suggests there are beneficial effects of ionizing radiation at low doses. Some experimental studies confirmed this hormetic effect with doses of about 1 cGy/day, but no data concerning very low dose rates are available. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the life span of mice exposed to very low doses of ionizing radiation. METHODS: Six hundred female C57BL/6 mice, 1 month old, were exposed to chronic gamma irradiation at very low dose rates of 7 or 14 cGy/year. These doses are about 25 or 50 times higher than background, but much lower than the doses of about 1 cGy/day used in previous experiments. Three hundred mice living in the same room were used as controls. RESULTS: The life span, after the beginning of the experiment, determined by the survival time of 50% of each population, is increased in irradiated mice: 549 days in controls, 673 days in both irradiated groups. The differences are significant between the control and the irradiation mice. Differences between mice irradiated with 7 or 14 cGy are not significant. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm the possibility of a nonharmful effect (hormesis) of ionizing radiation. They demonstrate that the paradigm, which states that low-dose effects can be predicted high-dose effects, cannot be systematically applied in radiation biology in general and gerontology in particular.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Influence of a long duration exposure, 69 months, to the space flight factors in Artemia cysts, tobacco and rice seeds.

Three french laboratories have participated in the Free Flyer Biostack experiment. Artemia cysts, tobacco seeds and rice caryopsis and embryos were used. Biological objects in monolayers were dead. In opposite, a large fraction of samples used in bulk survived. A stimulatory effect occurred in the first steps of development in Artemia cysts. In fact, the larval survival was unchanged or slightly reduced. In tobacco a drastic decrease in germination and survival rate was observed. Space flight did not induce genetic changes. In rice, results depend on the variety which was investigated; the growth rate stimulation in flight samples is discussed with respect to controls.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

[Effects of hypergravity on Paramecium tetraurelia].

Previous space experiments carried out in Paramecium tetraurelia have shown that exposure to microgravity results in an enhancement of cell multiplication. An opposite effect occurs when paramecia are exposed to hypergravity. Changes in cell growth rate observed in hypergravity cannot be ascribed to the bacteria present in the culture medium, the same effect being observed when paramecia grow in sterile medium.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Theoretical and experimental investigations on the fast rotating clinostat.

We have investigated both theoretically and experimentally the validity of the fast rotating clinostat to simulate microgravity for a free swimming single-cell organism such as the paramecium. Computer simulations show that cells on suspension move as cells cultivated in space. However, rotated paramecia are still affected by gravity, as shown by the variations in the rate of paramecium rotation on their axis. Using a fast clinostat, which allows to investigate simultaneously twenty cultures, we have observed a stimulating effect on cell growth rate similar to that previously reported in space. All these results point towards the fact that the fast clinostat can reproduce some of the effects of microgravity on paramecia.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Investigations of the effects of cosmic rays on Artemia cysts and tobacco seeds; results of Exobloc II experiment, flown aboard Biocosmos 1887.

Artemia (Brine shrimp) cysts and tobacco seeds, dormant biological material devoid of metabolic activity, were flown aboard the Soviet Biocosmos 1887 in order to investigate the effects of cosmic rays. Artemia cysts and tobacco seeds were used in bulk or in monolayers sandwiched with track detectors. Biological and physical units were located outside and inside the spacecraft. Stacks included lead shielding in order to expose the objects to different doses of radiation. Total dosimetry was performed using thermoluminescent detectors. In spite of low levels of doses, the space flight resulted in a decrease in developmental capacity of Artemia cysts, and in a higher mutation rate in tobacco seeds. The more obvious responses occurred, in both cases, in biological objects exposed to the highest doses. These results are compared to those of previous space experiments.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Effects of angular speed in responses of Paramecium tetraurelia to hypergravity.

The paper shows the results of investigations carried out in a single cell organism. Paramecium tetraurelia exposed to different gravitational levels. Hypergravity resulted in a decrease in cell growth rate. The responses depend on g level and angular speed of the centrifuge; furthermore they depend also on small short fluctuations in g levels, delta g, due to the swimming of the cells inside the culture tubes. Delta g depends on angular speed and size of the holding device. The inhibitory effect of hypergravity, for the same angular speed, increases with respect of the diameter of the culture tubes.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Space environmental factors affecting responses to radiation at the cellular level.

Previous space experiments suggest a high value for the RBE of cosmic radiation. A possible explanation could be a change in cell radiosensitivity due to a combined effect of radiation and other factors related to the space environment and to the space flight. Results of the EXOBLOC II experiment support this assumption. On earth, vibrations or accelerations applied before or after irradiation can change the responses to radiation. Microgravity could be the main factor affecting the radiosensitivity and DNA repair but this hypothesis must be confirmed by additional experiments.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Effects of microgravity and hypergravity on the cell: investigations on Paramecium tetraurelia.

Previous space CYTOS experiments have shown that space flights resulted in an increase in growth of Paramecia cultures. Microgravity is the major factor responsible of this response: indeed the stimulatory effect disappeared in inflight cultures placed on a 1 g centrifuge aboard the Spacelab. On the other hand, exposure to different levels of hypergravity on Earth resulted in an opposite response, i.e. to a reduced cell growth rate. A possible mechanism of microgravity on paramecia is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Influence on cell proliferation of background radiation or exposure to very low, chronic gamma radiation.

Investigations carried out on the protozoan Paramecium tetraurelia and the cyanobacteria Synechococcus lividus, which were shielded against background radiation or exposed to very low doses of gamma radiation, demonstrated that radiation can stimulate the proliferation of these two single-cell organisms. Radiation hormesis depends on internal factors (age of starting cells) and external factors (lighting conditions). The stimulatory effect occurred only in a limited range of doses and disappeared for dose rates higher than 50 mGy/y.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Radiation stimulation during the early stationary growth phase in Synechococcus lividus and its correlation with photooxidative stress occurring before the stationary phase.

The effects of chronic gamma radiation at dose rates ranging from 0.058 mGy d-1 on growth rate calculated during the early stationary phase were studied. A stimulatory effect occurred for all doses and for all phases of the cells selected for use in the inoculation of the medium. During the same period, the rate of nucleic acid synthesis was increased in irradiated cultures compared to control cultures. The stimulating effect always occurred in cultures irradiated from the inoculation to the eighteenth day only. This result led us to conclude that the stimulation mechanism depended upon the events occurring at the end of the exponential phase in the deceleration period. Studies on cell metabolism showed that cells presented features of photooxidative stress in this period. Increases in superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were observed in irradiated cultures. It was assumed that irradiation at very low doses could help cells to better defend against photooxidative stress by increasing oxidants that activate the glucose metabolism and C5-sugars production and nucleic acid synthesis.

Cyanobacteria↗
PubMed1986

Influence of very low doses of ionizing radiation on Synechococcus lividus metabolism during the initial growth phase.

Previous results from this laboratory have shown that very low chronic doses of gamma radiation can stimulate proliferation of the Cyanobacterium Synechococcus lividus. This modification of cell proliferation occurred during the first doubling. In this paper, we have compared the metabolism of cells cultivated in a normal environment or under chronic irradiation. Incubation of the cells in a new medium induced a high superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1, SOD) activity at the 18th hour and a degradation of phycocyanin, thus demonstrating that cells were submitted to a photooxidative stress. This increase in superoxide dismutase activity was followed by concomitant peaks of glutathione reductase (EC 1.6.4.2, GR) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49, G6P-DH) at the 24th hour. Irradiated cultures at a dose of 53.5 mGray/year show an earlier and higher peak of SOD, GR, and G6P-DH. In a second stage, cultures showed an earlier onset of photosynthesis under irradiation, as evidenced by an increase in pigment content and an enhancement of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.13, GAP-DH). These results show that the radiostimulation is related to the activation of enzymes protecting against peroxides that were induced under oxidative circumstances and to the activation of a glucose catabolism via the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway.

Chlorophyll↗
PubMed1986

Effects of a very low dose rate of chronic ionizing radiation on the division potential of human embryonic lung fibroblasts in vitro.

Among the various parameters that are supposed to play a role in aging at the cellular level, the "free radical theory" involves biochemical modifications that can be induced by radiation. Human embryonic lung fibroblasts were serially subcultivated at low density under chronic low dose rate irradiation (40 mrad/day) and in a normal environment. Irradiation increases cell attachment and the population doubling/day throughout their entire in vitro lifespan. Consequently, the doubling potential reached by irradiated cells was higher than that of control cultures. Finally, the total number of cells produced under chronic irradiation was 8-14 times higher than in a normal environment. These results are discussed with respect to the increased enzymatic activities (superoxidismutase, catalase, glutathion-reductase, G6PD) found in some irradiated organisms.

Cell Adhesion↗
PubMed1985

Radiation-induced changes in late effects and in developmental capacities of exposed artemia cysts.

Artemia dry cysts from a Californian bisexual strain used in several space experiments were irradiated with 60Co gamma rays. The three cyst populations experimented could be differentiated according to their development and survival rates. The variations observed for both of these criteria were related to the age of the cysts and the selection technique. The study of radiosensitivity based on LD50 value showed that the highest radiosensitivity differences were related to the cyst selection technique and not to the age. Furthermore, the three cyst populations showed that radio-induced lethal effects were enhanced, or appeared with time, namely following the delay between irradiation and the cyst development study. The observation of late effects after irradiations or after space flights show the difficulties encountered in assessing radiative risks during long duration space flights.

Aging↗
PubMed1985

Respective role of microgravity and cosmic rays on Paramecium tetraurelia cultured aboard Salyut 6.

Paramecium tetraurelia cultured aboard Salyut 6 have shown in increase in cell growth rate, cell volume, water content and changes in electrolyte content. Additional experiments, carried out in balloon flight and on earth, showed that the stimulating effect observed on cell proliferation is related to exposure to cosmic rays. Other changes seem to be due to a direct effect of microgravity on cell. Mechanism of gravity action on cell is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Preliminary results of Cytos 2 experiment.

Cytos 2 experiment, carried out during the French-Soviet manned flight (July 1982), has studied the antibiotics sensitivity of bacteria cultivated in vitro during the orbital flight. The results show an increase of the antibiotics resistance and a larger thickness of the cellular envelope for the inflight cells. The increase of antibiotics resistance can be related to a stimulating effect of space on the cell growth rate or to changes of the cellular envelope structure.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1985

Some ultrastructural aspects of the vitreoretinal juncture.

The ultrastructural study of the vitreoretinal juncture was carried out by comparing two groups of patients: 6 young subjects under 25 years and 6 older subjects over 70. Retinal samples were taken from the posterior pole, the equator and the extreme periphery. Our work shows that the morphological modifications of the vitreoretinal juncture during the aging process vary following location. The most original alteration, never observed before, appears in the equatorial region: it consists of a widening of the intercell space filled with fibrils adhering to Müller's cells. It builds up an adhesion zone between the vitreous and the retina which is not visible during clinical investigations; it can create a tear during the posterior vitreous detachment.

Adolescent↗