Radiation-induced skin regeneration: A comparative efficacy and safety analysis of alpha, beta, and gamma modalities in murine models

Vet World Vol.18 May-2025 Article - 9

Research Article

Veterinary World, 18(5): 1168-1179

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2025.1168-1179

Madyan Ahmed Khalaf¹

, Marwan Noori Mohammed²

, Baida M. Ahmed¹

, and Sahar A. H. Al-Sharqi³

1. Department of Physics, College of Sciences, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq.

2. Department of Science, College of Basic Education, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq.

3. Department of Biology, College of Sciences, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq.

Background and Aim: The therapeutic application of ionizing radiation in wound healing, especially with alpha, beta, and gamma modalities, remains largely unexplored despite its potential for enhancing regenerative processes. This study aimed to comparatively analyze the efficacy and safety of alpha radiation (IG-A), beta radiation (IG-B), and gamma radiation (IG-G) modalities in promoting skin regeneration using a murine model of full-thickness excisional wounds.

Materials and Methods: Twenty male BALB/c mice were randomized into four groups (n = 5 per group): IG-A, IG-B, IG-G, and an untreated control group (CG). Following surgical induction of full-thickness wounds (8 mm diameter), irradiation groups received 15 min of exposure at four intervals post-surgery using americium-241 (alpha), strontium-91 (beta), and cesium-137 (gamma). Wound healing was monitored macroscopically and microscopically on days 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. Histological and biochemical assessments included collagen synthesis, epithelialization, neovascularization, and growth factor (vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] and platelet-derived growth factor [PDGF]) quantification. Statistical analysis was performed using a one-way analysis of variance.

Results: IG-A significantly accelerated wound healing, achieving approximately 100% wound closure by day 10 compared to 90% and 80% in beta and gamma radiation groups, respectively. Control wounds demonstrated only 38% closure. Histopathological analysis indicated enhanced collagen deposition, neovascularization, sebaceous gland regeneration, and complete epithelialization primarily in the alpha-treated group. Biochemical assays revealed significantly elevated VEGF and PDGF levels in irradiated groups, with IG-A exhibiting the highest expression.

Conclusion: IG-A demonstrated superior efficacy in accelerating wound healing and tissue regeneration compared to beta and gamma modalities. This novel finding suggests a potential therapeutic role for IG-A in clinical wound management strategies.

Keywords: alpha radiation, beta radiation, gamma radiation, ionizing radiation, platelet-derived growth factor, skin regeneration, vascular endothelial growth factor, wound healing.

How to cite this article: Khalaf MA, Mohammed MN, Ahmed BM, and Al-Sharqi SAH (2025) Radiation-induced skin regeneration: A comparative efficacy and safety analysis of alpha, beta, and gamma modalities in murine models, Veterinary World, 18(5): 1168-1179.

Received: 22-12-2024 Accepted: 18-03-2025 Published online: 17-05-2025

Corresponding author: Madyan Ahmed Khalaf E-mail: madyan.a@uomustansiriyah.edu.iq

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.1168-1179

Copyright: Khalaf, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.