Proceedings of the 7th IMT-GT UNINET and the 3rd International PSU-UNS Conferences on Bioscience

The Impact of Alpha Particles on Platelets and Thrombocytopenia: a New Technique to Invitro Study

Asaad H .Ismail and Mohamad S. Jaafar

Medical Physics, School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800USM, Penang-Malaysia

For correspondence:

Abstract

The effect of alpha particles of radium source in inducing platelet damage was investigated in vitro via a new irradiation technique. Alpha particle doses used to irradiate whole human blood samples, using a new technique of nuclear track detectors (NTDs) type CR-39. The results show that the platelet count (PLT) reduced with increasing of the dose alpha particles and time of irradiation. Optimum value for irradiation dose and time of exposure was 21.778±0.733 µSv/hr and 6minutensidrded s, respectively. This work investigated that the exposure to the radioactivity source due to damage in a radio sensitive cell (platelet) and made Thrombocytopenia.

Introduction

The main sources of radiation in the soil are 238U and 232Th, these sources can result in different diseases, of which cancers are quite common, especially lung and blood. Leukemia concludes from infection in the blood parameters; Weight Blood Cont (WBC), Red Blood Count (RBC) and the Platelet Count (PLT). In addition, ddecrease in the number of platelets in the blood due to a thrombocytopenia, this can result in poor blood clotting. Thrombocytopenia is usually defined as less than 150,000 platelets per cubic millimeter of blood (Krailadsiri et.al, 2001). This work objective to design new irritation technique to evaluate the usefulness of platelet counts at the time of diagnosis as a prognostic factor, and estimate optimum dose /time of irradiation for invitro study on blood parameter compliments. Low radiation doses of radium 226Rn (5 µCi) used for study the hematological effects of low radiation within technique of CR-39 NTDs.

Research Methodologies

Blood samples collected by venipuncture into heparinized syringes for 25 male and female .Primary test for the blood samples done, and then irradiated with a different radiation dose (226Ra) and time of irradiation. Blood samples exposed to Radium source within irradiation collimator. Irradiation dose and time of irradiation varied between 10 to 41 µSv/hr and 2 to 10 minutes, respectively. The range of alpha particle into the blood and CR-39NTDs taken into account in the irradiation system, using the SRIM 2010 program (www.srim.org ). Irradiation was done at room temperature in a controlled area for both types of radiation.

Results and Discussion

Relationship between alpha particle energy with equivalent radiation absorbed doses, range and density of alpha particle into the surface of CR-39NTDs and human blood samples are listed in Table 1. The range of alpha particle into the CR-39NTDS less than it’s range into the blood, this because deference density of CR-39NTDs (1.31 g/cm3 ) and Human blood (= 1.06g/cm3 ). But the density of deposited of alpha particle for both is same, because, the incident of alpha particle do not depend on the range of it , and depend on the rate decay of it. Therefore, received radiation dose from the alpha source for both should be equal. The relationships between alpha particle energy and alpha track registration with the average incident radiation dose were logarithmic and exponential, respectively, and as shown in Fig. 1. This is essentially in agreement with the decay of radium and the registration nature of the equipments (Soto et.al , 2002; Hamza et.al ,2009).

Table 1: Relationship between alpha particle energy and equivalent absorbed doses, range and density of alpha particle into the surface of CR-39NTDs and human blood samples.

Alpha particle energy(MeV) / Range of alpha particles in CR-39NTDs (µm) / Range of alpha particles in blood (µm) / Incident alpha particles on the blood and CR-39NTD (particles/cm2)per 1 minute / Incident average radiation dose (from 226Ra )on the blood and CR-39NTD (µSv/hr)
1 / 4.3 / 5.18 / 67.57±26.84 / 10.387±0.247
2 / 8.57 / 10.13 / 172.17±16.1 / 12.126±0.341
3 / 14.11 / 16.66 / 508.48±32.8 / 13.41±0.449
4 / 20.93 / 24.75 / 597.11±42.29 / 21.778±0.733
5 / 28.99 / 34.33 / 6039.72±285.96 / 40.242±0.906

Fig.2 shows the change of blood components before and after irradiation with various values; this depended on type of blood component and time of exposure. Most effects were in PLT count, because PLT cell is not hardness to radiation like RBC, so it is more effective than other blood components.

Meanwhile, we note that the effects occurring in red blood cells to be adversely effects of white blood cells, and platelets, this is in agreement with the essential of the hematologist and radiation casualties (Dainiak et al., 2003).


Conclusions

Distributional methods of alpha particles on the surface of CR-39NTDs and human blood samples have been significantly improved. The range of alpha particle in CR-39NTDs was less than the range of it in the human blood samples, depending on their density and the energy of alpha particles. Comparative study between CR-39NTDs and the human blood samples is a new technique to invitro studies of human blood. Most effects of alpha irradiation were PLT count, because PLT cell is not hardness to radiation like RBC, so it is more effective than other blood components. Meanwhile, we note that the effects occurring in red blood cells to be adversely effects of white blood cells, and platelets, this is in agreement with the essential of the hematologist and radiation casualties.

Acknowledgements:

The authors acknowledged to individuals whose work when bated to this article. This study was supported by USM grant.

References:

Dainiak N., Waselenko J. K., Armitage J. O., MacVittie T. J., Farese A.M., 2003. The Hematologist and Radiation Casualties. American Society of Hematology, 473-496.

Hamza V. Z. , Mohankumar M. N., 2009. Cytogenetic damage in human blood lymphocytes exposed in vitro to radon, Mutation Research 661, 1–9.

http://www.srim.org/

Krailadsiri P., Seqhatchian J., 2001. Residual red cell and platelet content in WBC-reduced plasma measured by a novel flow cytometric method, Transfusion and Apheresis Science, 24, 3, 279-286.

Soto J. , Sainz C., Cos S., Gonzalez Lamuno D., 2002. A simple method of alpha irradiation for experiments in radiobiology, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 197 ,310–316.

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