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Measuring DNA Damage and Repair in Mouse Splenocytes After Chronic In Vivo Exposure to Very Low Doses of Beta- and Gamma-Radiation
Published on: July 4, 2015
The relationship between the RBE of alpha particles and the radiosensitivity of different mutations of Chinese
N A Zyuzikov1, K M Prise, M Z Zdzienicka
1Department of Radiation Biology, St. Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, UK.
Abstract:
The RBE of alpha-particles in different mutations of Chinese hamster cells was determined with the aim of identifying differences in the sensitivity to x-ray and alpha-particle-induced DNA damage. Two parental lines of Chinese hamster cells and four radiosensitive mutants were irradiated with different single doses of x-rays and alpha-particles and clonogenic cell survival was determined. Radiosensitivity to x-rays varied by a factor of 5 between the cell strains whereas sensitivity to alpha-particle irradiation was almost identical among all strains. The RBE is only determined by the sensitivity of the cells towards x-rays. Since cells with different defects of repair or cell cycle control have different radiosensitivities, we conclude that the effects of x-ray irradiation and the RBE are mostly determined by the activity of repair processes.
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