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Micronuclei in human peripheral blood lymphocytes exposed to mixed beams of X-rays and alpha particles

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyse the cytogenetic effect of exposing human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) to a mixed beam of alpha particles and X-rays. Whole blood collected from one donor was exposed to different doses of alpha particles (241Am), X-rays and a combination of both. All exposures were carried out at 37 °C. Three independent experiments were performed. Micronuclei (MN) in binucleated PBL were scored as the endpoint. Moreover, the size of MN was measured. The results show that exposure of PBL to a mixed beam of high and low linear energy transfer radiation led to significantly higher than expected frequencies of MN. The measurement of MN size did not reveal any differences between the effect of alpha particles and mixed beam. In conclusion, a combined exposure of PBL to alpha particles and X-rays leads to a synergistic effect as measured by the frequency of MN. From the analysis of MN distributions, we conclude that the increase was due to an impaired repair of X-ray-induced DNA damage.

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Acknowledgments

The study was supported by an exploratory research project from the Joint Research Centre, Institute of Energy, and by a grant from the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM).

Ethical Standards

The work was approved by the local ethical committee at the Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden (diarium number 2010/27-31/1).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stockholms Universitet, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden

    Elina Staaf, Karl Brehwens, Siamak Haghdoost & Andrzej Wojcik

  2. Institute for Energy-JRC, Westerduinweg 3, 1755 LE, Petten, The Netherlands

    Sander Nievaart

  3. Department of Radiation Dosimetry, Nuclear Physics Institute, AS CR, Prague, Czech Republic

    Katerina Pachnerova-Brabcova

  4. Department of Nuclear Chemistry, Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Engineering, Czech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic

    Katerina Pachnerova-Brabcova

  5. Jan Kochanowski University, Swietokrzyska 15 St, 25-406, Kielce, Poland

    Joanna Czub, Janusz Braziewicz & Andrzej Wojcik

  6. GMT Department, Centre for Radiation Protection Research, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, 10654, Stockholm, Sweden

    Andrzej Wojcik

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  1. Elina Staaf
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  2. Karl Brehwens
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Correspondence to Andrzej Wojcik.

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Staaf, E., Brehwens, K., Haghdoost, S. et al. Micronuclei in human peripheral blood lymphocytes exposed to mixed beams of X-rays and alpha particles. Radiat Environ Biophys 51, 283–293 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-012-0417-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-012-0417-x

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