Effect of low doses and low dose-rates of gamma radiation on DNA damage in human peripheral blood leukocytes using comet assay
by R.C. Chaubey, H.N. Bhilwade, R. Rajagopalan, V.R. Sonawane
International Journal of Low Radiation (IJLR), Vol. 2, No. 1/2, 2006

Abstract: Comet assay is a sensitive technique and it provides a unique opportunity to investigate intercellular differences in DNA damage and repair in any eukaryotic cell population. This assay can be used to detect DNA single strand breaks, alkali-labile sites and incomplete DNA repair sites, under alkaline conditions and DNA double strand breaks under neutral condition. We report here our observations on the low-dose (1.25, 2.50, 5.0 and 10.0 cGy) effects of gamma rays on DNA damage in human peripheral blood leukocytes. In a separate experiment on dose-rate, human blood samples were exposed to a total dose of 10.0 cGy at different dose-rates (0.46, 0.93 and 1.85 cGy/ min) of gamma rays using an industrial radiographic camera. Cells were processed by alkaline comet assay, stained in SYBR Green II and analysed using an imaging software SCGE-Pro, developed in our laboratory for quantification of DNA strand breaks using comet assay. Various comet parameters, e.g., tail length, % DNA in tail and tail moment, were measured for each comet. Analysis of data revealed significant increase in DNA damage even at the lowest dose of 1.25 cGy. Lower dose-rate produced higher DNA damage as compared to the higher dose-rate.

Online publication date: Fri, 30-Sep-2005

The full text of this article is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

 
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.

Pay per view:
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.

Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Low Radiation (IJLR):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:

Username:        Password:          Forgotten your password?

Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.

If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com