Comparative study of G2 delay and survival after 241 Americium-alpha and 60cobalt-gamma irradiation

Survival and G2 dalay following exposure to either 60Cobalt-gamma-rays or 241Americium-alpha-particles were studied in eight mammalian cell lines of human and animal origin including human fibroblasts from normal individuals and from patients with Ataxia telangiectasia or Fanconi's anemia. For both endpoints the effectiveness of alpha particles was greater as compared to gamma-rays. RBE values for G2 delay (4.6-9.2) were in general comparable to RBE values derived from initial slopes of survival curves (RBE alpha) but higher compared to the ratio of mean inactivation doses (RB-DML). Ataxia cells were particularly sensitive to cell killing by gamma-irradiation (D37 = 0.57 Gy), however, showed average sensitivity to alpha-particles of high LET (D37 = 0.30 Gy). With the exception of Ataxia cells, cell killing and G2 delay seem to be related processes if individual cell cycle parameters are taken into account.