Neutron RBEs for mouse skin at low doses per fraction.
The effect of low doses of 240 kVp X rays or of 3 MeV neutrons has been investigated using skin reactions on mouse feet as the biological system. Eight or nine repeated small doses of radiation were used, followed by graded "top-up" doses to bring the reactions into a detectable range. By comparing dose-response curves, the RBE has been determined for neutron doses per fraction ranging from 0.25-1.0 Gy. The data are consistent with a limiting RBE of between 7 and 10 at very low doses. A review of other published RBE values for low doses per fraction shows a wide range of RBEs . Very few studies show a plateau value for the RBE. These findings are more consistent with dose-response data that fit a linear-quadratic model than with a multitarget single-hit model.
D000818:Animals; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005214:Fast Neutrons; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009502:Neutrons; D012062:Relative Biological Effectiveness; D012867:Skin / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014965:X-Rays