ABSTRACT
We describe a low level of chromatid-type aberrations which included the relatively rare isochromatid/chromatid triradial in peripheral blood lymphocytes that were irradiated, ostensibly in G0, with accelerated heavy (12)C ions. These were produced only at the energies of 69 MeV/n (34.6 keV/microm), almost absent at the energy of either 58.6 MeV/n (46.07 keV/ microm) or 19.3 MeV/n (97 keV/microm), nor were they found after low-LET X-rays. Mechanisms potentially responsible for their formation are discussed.
Subject(s)
Chromatids/radiation effects , Chromosome Aberrations , Chromosomes, Human/radiation effects , Heavy Ions , Lymphocytes/radiation effects , Carbon Radioisotopes , Cells, Cultured/radiation effects , Cells, Cultured/ultrastructure , Chromatids/ultrastructure , Chromosomes, Human/ultrastructure , Humans , Lymphocytes/ultrastructure , Resting Phase, Cell Cycle/radiation effects , X-RaysABSTRACT
The biophysical characteristics of heavy ions make them a rational source of radiation for use in radiotherapy of malignant tumours. Prior to radiotherapy treatment, a therapeutic regimen must be precisely defined, and during this stage information on individual patient radiosensitivity would be of very great medical value. There are various methods to predict radiosensitivity, but some shortfalls are difficult to avoid. The present study investigated the induction of chromatid breaks in five different cell lines, including one normal liver cell line (L02), exposed to carbon ions accelerated by the heavy ion research facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL), using chemically induced premature chromosome condensation (PCC). Previous studies have reported the number of chromatid breaks to be linearly related to the radiation dose, but the relationship between cell survival and chromatid breaks is not clear. The major result of the present study is that cellular radiosensitivity, as measured by D0, is linearly correlated with the frequency of chromatid breaks per Gy in these five cell lines. We propose that PCC may be applied to predict radiosensitivity of tumour cells exposed to heavy ions.
