Table 2.
Mean relative telomere length (RTL) and relative telomerase expression in bank vole tissues from animals from the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) and control sites outside the CEZ.
| Tissue (N CEZ/control) | CEZ RTL (SD) | control RTL (SD) | combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTL | |||
| Brain (20/21) | 0.89 (0.17) | 0.94 (0.22) | 0.92 (0.20) |
| Heart (20/21) | 1.06 (0.24) | 1.13 (0.35) | 1.10 (0.30) |
| Liver (19/21) | 1.55 (0.46) | 1.98 (0.76) | 1.78 (0.66) |
| Ovary (12/10) | 1.03 (0.18) | 1.01 (0.49) | 1.02 (0.35) |
| Testis (10/11) | 1.59 (0.30) | 2.61 (1.07) | 2.13 (0.95) |
| Tissue (N CEZ/control) | CEZ telomerase (SD) | control telomerase (SD) | combined |
| Telomerase | |||
| Brain (30/29) | 1.69 (0.92) | 1.17 (0.62) | 1.44 (0.82) |
| Heart (25/24) | 0.37 (0.28) | 0.24 (0.17) | 0.31 (0.25) |
| Liver (28/28) | 0.80 (0.43) | 0.54 (0.34) | 0.67 (0.40) |
| Ovary (12/13) | 1.25 (0.31) | 1.16 (0.33) | 1.20 (0.32) |
N = sample size, SD = standard deviation.