Assessment and Implications of Scattered Microbeam and Broadbeam Synchrotron Radiation for Bystander Effect Studies

Synchrotron radiation is an excellent tool for investigating bystander effects in cell and animal models because of the well-defined and controllable configuration of the beam. Although synchrotron radiation has many advantages for such studies compared to conventional radiation, the contribution of dose exposure from scattered radiation nevertheless remains a source of concern. Therefore, the influence of scattered radiation on the detection of bystander effects induced by synchrotron radiation in biological in vitro models was evaluated. Radiochromic XRQA2 film-based dosimetry was employed to measure the absorbed dose of scattered radiation in cultured cells at various distances from a field exposed to microbeam radiotherapy and broadbeam X-ray radiation. The level of scattered radiation was dependent on the distance, dose in the target zone and beam mode. The number of γ-H2AX foci in cells positioned at the same target distances was measured and used as a biodosimeter to evaluate the absorbed dose. A correlation of absorbed dose values measured by the physical and biological methods was identified. The γ-H2AX assay successfully quantitated the scattered radiation in the range starting from 10 mGy and its contribution to the observed radiation-induced bystander effect.