Features of modifying properties of chemicals under the action of radiation of different quality: UV light, gamma-radiation and alfa-particles

Modification of the action of ionizing radiation by chemicals, used both to enhance its action and to weaken it’s known and is widely used in medical radiology. The article presents a comparative analysis of the modifying properties of three chemical radioprotectors (cysteamine, cysteine and cysteamine) when they are simultaneously act with to gama-rays, alpha-particles and ultraviolet radiation on yeast cells. The aim of the study was to compare the features of the manifestation of the properties of chemicals in relation to the protection of cells from UV-like damage when exposed to ionizing radiation or from damage caused by ultraviolet radiation. It was demonstrated that the cysteamine protects cells both from the damaging effects of gama-rays and from ultraviolet radiation, unlike cysteamine and cysteine, which protect cells exclusively from the effects of ionizing radiation. Moreover, cystamine does not change the effect of alpha-particles, which have a high ionization density of the substance, but practically do not cause excitation processes in biological objects. The obtained data indicate that cystamine realizes its protective properties against damage caused by ultraviolet radiation and UV-like damage resulting from the action of gama-rays due to the excitation of molecules or, more precisely, the ultraviolet component of Vavilov-Cherenkov luminescence accompanying the action of ionizing radiation.