Influence of dose rate on radiotherapy treatment of the U87MG cell line through cell viability

Glioblastoma multiforme is a tumor that affects glial cells and is common in humans, being the most aggressive of gliomas. Patients, after diagnosis, have an average survival of just over a year, even when undergoing standard treatment. Given the low estimated survival of patients with this type of tumor, the objective of the study is to investigate the contribution of dose rate in radiotherapeutic treatment using a human glioblastoma cell line called U87MG, through the MTT (brometo de 3-[4,5-dimetiltiazol-2-il]-2,5-difenil tetrazólio) cell viability assay. Three dose rates were tested, including 400 cGy/min which is used clinically in patients, as well as 1.400 and 3.300 cGy/min from a clinical linear accelerator. Sterile culture plates with U87MG cells were irradiated, then, manipulated in the laboratory for the execution of the cell viability assay. The irradiated plates showed lower cell viability than the non-irradiated group, but there was no significant difference in viability among the different tested dose rates.