Hypergravity Modifies the Signal Transduction of Ionizing Radiation through p53

To determine the possible effect of hypergravity to modify the signal transduction of ionizing radiation, we analyzed the accumulation of p53 and the expression of p53-dependent genes, Waf-1 and Bax, using the western blot analysis. Hypergravity (20 × g) induced the accumulation of p53 in the human glioblastoma cell line A172 after 3 h of incubation. Low-dose (0.5 Gy) irradiation to the cells accumulated p53 1.5 h after irradiation, and induced Waf-1 and Bax. Under the condition of hypergravity (20 × g), the peak of p53 accumulation was shifted from 1.5 h to 3 h after irradiation, and the inductions of Waf-1 and Bax were suppressed entirely. These results indicate that hypergravity modifies the signal transduction of ionizing radiation through p53 in the cells