Effects of Genetic Variation on Urinary Small Molecule Signatures of Mice after Exposure to Ionizing Radiation: A Study of p53 Deficiency.

Due to risks from potential exposures to ionizing radiation (IR), improved radiological countermeasures are required, as well as rapid high-throughput biodosimetry. Genotypic variation in the general population contributes to differences in radiosensitivity that may affect biodosimetry accuracy. Previous studies utilized radiosensitive mutant mouse models (Parp1 and Atm) to determine the effects of genotypic deficiency on radiation signatures. Here, we extend this approach by examining changes in the urinary metabolome in a hematopoietic (HP) resistant mouse model (p53) after IR exposure. As p53 is a primary regulator in radiation response and apoptosis, limited hematopoietic stem cell apoptosis leads to reduced mortality at doses of ~8-10 Gy but increased mortality at higher doses (> 15 Gy) due to mitotic catastrophe in gastrointestinal (GI) crypt cells. Urine was collected from mice (wild-type (WT), p53, and p53) pre-irradiation and at 4 and 24 h after total body irradiation (TBI) (WT: 8 and 10 Gy; p53: 10 Gy) for metabolic phenotyping using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) platform. Minimal differences were detected between unirradiated WT, p53, and p53 mice. While similar perturbations were observed for metabolites involved in tryptophan, vitamin B6, and histamine pathways, glycine conjugation, and redox metabolism for WT and p53 mice after TBI, an overall dampened response was observed in p53-deficient mice. Despite comparable metabolite patterns between genotypes, differentiation was achieved through receiver operating characteristic curve analysis with high specificity and sensitivity for carnitine, N1-acetylspermidine, and creatine. These studies highlight that both attenuated and dampened metabolic responses due to genetic variability in the general population need to be addressed in biodosimetry frameworks.