The influence of radiation quality on radiation-induced hemolysis and hemoglobin oxidation of human erythrocytes.

Human erythrocytes were exposed to gamma-rays and alpha-particles to assess radiation-induced membrane damage and hemoglobin oxidation and denaturation. With all parameters measured, the alpha-particles proved to be less efficient than the gamma-rays. The time-dependence of hemolysis showed also clear differences: with the gamma-rays the process was faster, reaching saturation after 40-90 min (depending on dose), but with the alpha-particles the final level was attained only after about 3-7 h. Hemoglobin oxidation and denaturation could be measured only after gamma-exposure, but they were negligible with the alpha-particles when comparable doses were applied. These results are interpreted by proposing that OH-radicals, whose yields are smaller with densely ionizing radiation, play a crucial role in the induction of the processes for radiation-induced erythrocyte damage.