Geant4-DNA-based simulation of the radiobiological effects of proton radiation-induced damage to DNA strands of Caenorhabditis elegans
10.3760/cma.j.cn112271-20230805-00032
- VernacularTitle:基于Geant4-DNA模拟质子辐照线虫DNA链损伤的生物效应研究
- Author:
Taotao JI
1
;
Taosheng LI
;
Weiyue YU
;
Zhao XU
Author Information
1. 中国科学院合肥物质科学研究院核能安全技术研究所，合肥 230031
- Keywords:
Geant4-DNA;
Caenorhabditis elegans;
Proton;
DNA double-strand break;
Relative biological effect
- From:
Chinese Journal of Radiological Medicine and Protection
2024;44(7):562-570
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To calculate the yield and relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of proton radiation-induced DNA damage to C. elegans germ cells using the Geant4-DNA toolkit in order to explore the biological effects of proton radiation on Caenorhabditis elegans. Methods:A DNA model for a 20-μm-diameter C. elegans germ cell was built using Hilbert curves within the Geant4-DNA toolkit. By simulating DNA damage induced by proton radiation at varying energy levels (100, 50, 20, 5 and 2 MeV), the correlations between DNA double-strand break yields (YDSBs) and different parameters such as physics constructors, energy threshold (ET) models, and free radical scavenging distances were explored, and the result were compared with biological experimental data (20 MeV proton). The DNA damage types from varying energy levels of protons were defined, and the relative biological effectiveness of DNA double-strand breaks (RBE DSB) values were calculated using the RBE DSB mathematical model. Results:The analysis of proton radiation-induced DNA damage under varying physics constructors, ET models, and free radical scavenging distances indicated that the proton radiation-induced YDSBs were the lowest when physics constructor 2 was utilized, while the YDSBs under physics constructors 4 and 6 differed slightly. The proton radiation-induced YDSBs gradually decreased with a rise in both the single ET and free radical scavenging distance. The comparison revealed that the simulation result were the closest to biological experimental data under physics constructor 4, a single ET model of 21.25 eV, and a radical scavenging distance of 9 nm, with disparities approximating 8.3%. Calculated RBE DSB values for protons spanned 1.02 to 1.85, with a lower proton energy corresponding to higher RBE DSB values. Conclusions:Proton radiation-induced YDSBs in C. elegans derived using Geant4-DNA simulations align well with relevant assessments using molecular biology. This study provides a vital means for understanding and predicting the biological effects stemming from proton radiation
