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Dose rate effect on micronuclei induction in human blood lymphocytes exposed to single pulse and multiple pulses of electrons

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Abstract

The effects of single pulses and multiple pulses of 7 MV electrons on micronuclei (MN) induction in cytokinesis-blocked human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) were investigated over a wide range of dose rates per pulse (instantaneous dose rate). PBLs were exposed to graded doses of 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 Gy of single electron pulses of varying pulse widths at different dose rates per pulse, ranging from 1 × 106 Gy s−1 to 3.2 × 108 Gy s−1. Different dose rates per pulse were achieved by changing the dose per electron pulse by adjusting the beam current and pulse width. MN yields per unit absorbed dose after irradiation with single electron pulses were compared with those of multiple pulses of electrons. A significant decrease in the MN yield with increasing dose rates per pulse was observed, when dose was delivered by a single electron pulse. However, no reduction in the MN yield was observed when dose was delivered by multiple pulses of electrons. The decrease in the yield at high dose rates per pulse suggests possible radical recombination, which leads to decreased biological damage. Cellular response to the presence of very large numbers of chromosomal breaks may also alter the damage.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Radiation and Photochemistry Division, BARC, Mumbai, not only for allowing us the use of electron accelerator Linac, but also for assisting with the beam characterization, dosimeter, and sample irradiation. Special thanks go to Nadkarni SA and his colleagues in this regard. The authors gratefully acknowledge the help and useful suggestions of Dr B S Rao, Former Head, Radiological Physics and Advisory Division (RP&AD), BARC, Mumbai. The authors are grateful to research colleagues and technical staff at Microtron Centre, Mangalore University (MU) and RP&AD, BARC, for their help during the course of work. The authors thank Mr Udaya Shetty, Department of Statistics, MU, for the statistical analysis. One of the authors (SA) is grateful to the Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences, Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Engineering Physics, Alva’s Institute of Engineering and Technology, Moodbidri, 574225, India

    Santhosh Acharya

  2. Radiological Physics and Advisory Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, 400085, India

    N. N. Bhat & B. Sreedevi

  3. Department of Studies in Physics, Microtron Centre, Mangalore University, Mangalagangotri, 574199, India

    Praveen Joseph, Ganesh Sanjeev & Y. Narayana

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  1. Santhosh Acharya
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  2. N. N. Bhat
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  4. Ganesh Sanjeev
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  5. B. Sreedevi
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  6. Y. Narayana
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Correspondence to Y. Narayana.

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Acharya, S., Bhat, N.N., Joseph, P. et al. Dose rate effect on micronuclei induction in human blood lymphocytes exposed to single pulse and multiple pulses of electrons. Radiat Environ Biophys 50, 253–263 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-011-0353-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-011-0353-1

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