Figure 3: Formation of γ-H2AX, p-ATM and p-DNA-PKcs foci in PBLs and BMLs of rats inhaling radon.

(A) The dose-response for γ-H2AX, p-ATM and p-DNA-PKcs foci in the PBLs and BMLs of rats inhaling radon. (B) The co-localization ratios of p-ATM and p-DNA-PKcs foci with γ-H2AX foci in the PBLs and BMLs of rats inhaling radon. (C) Representative images showing γ-H2AX foci and its linear tracks and co-localization of p-ATM and p-DNA-PKcs foci with γ-H2AX foci in the PBLs and BMLs of rats inhaling 60 WLM radon. Three thousand to eight thousand lymphocytes from each sample were used for γ-H2AX, p-ATM and p-DNA-PKcs foci quantitation. The data are presented as averages ± standard deviations of five-ten rats. Green, γ-H2AX; red, p-ATM and p-DNA-PKcs; blue, DNA stained with DAPI. 1000 × magnification; scale bar, 5 μm. ^*P < 0.05, ^**P < 0.01, ^***P < 0.001 compared with the background value for the same protein in the same type of cells, ^#P < 0.05, ^###P < 0.001 compared with 10-WLM or 14-WLM radon exposure group for the same protein in the same type of cells, ^&&&P < 0.001 compared with 30-WLM radon exposure group for the same protein in the same type of cells, ^&&&P < 0.001 compared with p-ATM and p-DNA-PKcs foci under the same irradiation conditions, ^$$$P < 0.001 compared with 30-WLM radon exposure group for the same protein in the PBLs, and ^ΨΨΨP < 0.001 compared with 60-WLM radon exposure group for the same protein in the PBLs.