HeavyionbeamswithhighlinearenergytransferexhibitmorebeneficialphysicalandbiologicalperformancethanconventionalX-rays,thusimprovingthepotentialofthistypeofradiotherapyinthetreatmentofcancer.However,thesetworadiotherapymodalitiesbothcauseinevitablebraininjury.TheobjectiveofthisstudywastoevaluatetheeffectsofheavyionandX-rayirradiationonthecytoskeletonandcytomechanicalpropertiesofratcorticalneurons,aswellastodeterminethepotentialmechanismofneuronalinjuryafterirradiation.Corticalneuronsfrom30new-bornmicewereirradiatedwithheavyionbeamsatasingledoseof2GyandX-raysatasingledoseof4Gy;subsequentevaluationoftheireffectswerecarriedoutat24hoursafterirradiation.AnimmunofluorescenceassayshowedthatafterirradiationwithboththeheavyionbeamandX-rays,thenumberofprimaryneuronswassignificantlydecreased,andtherewasevidenceofapoptosis.Radiation-inducedneuronalinjurywasmoreapparentafterX-irradiation.Underatomicforcemicroscopy,theneuronalmembraneappearedroughandneuronalrigidityhadincreased.ThesecellchangesweremoreapparentfollowingexposuretoX-rays.OurfindingsindicatedthatdamagecausedbyheavyionandX-rayirradiationresultedinthestructuraldistortionandrearrangementofthecytoskeleton,andaffectedthecytomechanicalpropertiesofthecorticalneurons.Moreover,thisradiationinjurytonormalneuronswasmuchsevererafterirradiationwithX-raysthanafterheavyionbeamirradiation.
