Effect of ionizing irradiation on hippocampal cytokine release and neurogenesis in a murine (transgenic) tissue slice model

Radiation-induced impairment of hippocampal neurogenesis seems to play a central role in the pathogenesis of neurocognitive deficits after whole brain radiotherapy. Moreover, proinflammatory cytokines like IL-6 have been demonstrated to inhibit hippocampal neurogenesis. Here, we investigate at what radiation dose the hippocampal cytokine release and neurogenesis is affected, using a (transgenic) murine tissue slice model. The entorhino-hippocampal formation from C57BL/J6 mice (P6) was dissected and sections transferred onto membrane inserts in six-well plates (day 1). After irradiation (0 to 4 Gy) at day 7, a po…