Low dose of gamma irradiation enhanced boronophenylalanine uptake in head and neck carcinoma cells for boron neutron capture therapy.

This study attempted to increase the boron uptake of human head and neck carcinoma SAS cells for BNCT by using a gamma dose of 0.1 Gy for combined treatment. Intracellular boron concentrations in 25 μgB/mL medium of BPA treated and BPA combined gamma-irradiation treated SAS cells were 73.8±1.73 and 95.15±1.36 ppm, respectively. After neutron irradiation, the G2/M-phase cell populations of untreated, BPA treated and BPA combined gamma-irradiation treated SAS cells were 19.31±1.71%, 52.47±2.25% and 59.19±2.63%, respectively. Experimental results indicate that the low dose gamma radiation with combination BPA treatment has the highest killing rate after neutron irradiation. Capable of significantly increasing the G2/M arrest after neutron irradiation, the combined treatment of a low dose of gamma irradiation with 25 μg B/mL medium of BPA also provided a higher killing effect for BNCT.