Was 3.5060.80 Gy h21. Before irradiation, the BPA-enriched incubation Epigenetic Reader Domain medium was Autophagy removed and the cells were washed in 0.9 saline solution. Another cell group was irradiated without BPA (beam only) and was designated the “irradiated control”. A nonirradiated and without BPA group were also studied and designated “control”.Soluble Collagen Quantification by Picrosirius AssayPicrosirius assays evaluate the quantity of collagen in a sample [12]. The dyes used for this test react specifically with basic groups in the collagen molecule [13,14]. After irradiation, plates with the supernatant (metabolized culture medium) of melanoma cells and melanocytes were placed in an incubator at 37uC overnight without lids to dry the contents. Then, saturated Bouin’s solution [12] was added to each well, and the samples were incubated for 1 h at room temperature. The dye was removed and 300 mL of distilled water was added. The plate was dried at room temperature for approximately 2 h. After this period, 200 mL of 0.1 Sirus red dye (Sigma Chemical Company, USA) was added for one hour, protected from light. The dye was removed and 250 mL of 0.01 M HCl was added. After that, the HCl solution was removed and the samples were incubated with 150 mL of 0.1 M NaOH for 30 min. The optical density 
of the samples was read at 550 nm in a spectrophotometer.Boronophenylalanine (BPA)B-enriched (.99 ) BPA was purchased from KatChem and converted into a fructose 1:1 complex to increase its solubility [9].Cell Treatment and BNCT Irradiation for Soluble Collagen Quantification and Flow Cytometric TestsMelanocytes and B16F10 melanoma cells were seeded in 24well plates at a concentration of 105 cells/mL and allowed to grow for 24 h. B16F10 melanoma cells were treated with 3.3 mg/mL of BPA in all flow cytometric tests (this value is equivalent to 172.0 mg 10B/mL). This concentration corresponded to the Inhibitory Concentration of 50 (IC50) for this compound in this cell line [10]. Melanocytes were treated with 34.4 mg/mL of BPA in all flow cytometric tests (this value is equivalent to 1.8 mg 10B/ mL) [6], which corresponded to the IC50 for this compound in this cell line. After 90 min of incubation with BPA, the cells were irradiated at 1081537 the BNCT research facility at the Nuclear and Energetic Research Institute (IPEN, Brazil) [11] for 30 min, using the IEA-R1 nuclear reactor operating at a power of 3.5 MW. The thermal neutron flux, epithermal neutron flux and fast neutron flux at the irradiation position were (2.3160.03)x108,Protein Expression Quantification by Flow CytometryAfter irradiation, cells in supernatant and adherent cells were pelleted by centrifugation at 1800 rpm for 10 min and incubated 
with 1 mg of specific anti-Bax, anti-Bad, anti-caspase 8, anti-Bcl2, anti-cytochrome c, anti-Hsp47, anti-TNF receptor (tumor necrosisApoptosis in Melanoma Cells after BNCTApoptosis in Melanoma Cells after BNCTFigure 2. Determination of collagen-related markers in B16F10 melanoma cells and normal melanocytes (mean 6 s.d.). (A) Synthesis of soluble collagen in B16F10 melanoma cells after BNCT treatment and neutron irradiation alone (irradiated control) compared to cells without any treatment (control). (B) Synthesis of soluble collagen in normal melanocytes after BNCT treatment and neutron irradiation alone (irradiated control) compared to cells without any treatment (control). (C) Expression of ECM collagen in B16F10 melanoma cells after BNCT treatment and neutron irradiatio.Was 3.5060.80 Gy h21. Before irradiation, the BPA-enriched incubation medium was removed and the cells were washed in 0.9 saline solution. Another cell group was irradiated without BPA (beam only) and was designated the “irradiated control”. A nonirradiated and without BPA group were also studied and designated “control”.Soluble Collagen Quantification by Picrosirius AssayPicrosirius assays evaluate the quantity of collagen in a sample [12]. The dyes used for this test react specifically with basic groups in the collagen molecule [13,14]. After irradiation, plates with the supernatant (metabolized culture medium) of melanoma cells and melanocytes were placed in an incubator at 37uC overnight without lids to dry the contents. Then, saturated Bouin’s solution [12] was added to each well, and the samples were incubated for 1 h at room temperature. The dye was removed and 300 mL of distilled water was added. The plate was dried at room temperature for approximately 2 h. After this period, 200 mL of 0.1 Sirus red dye (Sigma Chemical Company, USA) was added for one hour, protected from light. The dye was removed and 250 mL of 0.01 M HCl was added. After that, the HCl solution was removed and the samples were incubated with 150 mL of 0.1 M NaOH for 30 min. The optical density of the samples was read at 550 nm in a spectrophotometer.Boronophenylalanine (BPA)B-enriched (.99 ) BPA was purchased from KatChem and converted into a fructose 1:1 complex to increase its solubility [9].Cell Treatment and BNCT Irradiation for Soluble Collagen Quantification and Flow Cytometric TestsMelanocytes and B16F10 melanoma cells were seeded in 24well plates at a concentration of 105 cells/mL and allowed to grow for 24 h. B16F10 melanoma cells were treated with 3.3 mg/mL of BPA in all flow cytometric tests (this value is equivalent to 172.0 mg 10B/mL). This concentration corresponded to the Inhibitory Concentration of 50 (IC50) for this compound in this cell line [10]. Melanocytes were treated with 34.4 mg/mL of BPA in all flow cytometric tests (this value is equivalent to 1.8 mg 10B/ mL) [6], which corresponded to the IC50 for this compound in this cell line. After 90 min of incubation with BPA, the cells were irradiated at 1081537 the BNCT research facility at the Nuclear and Energetic Research Institute (IPEN, Brazil) [11] for 30 min, using the IEA-R1 nuclear reactor operating at a power of 3.5 MW. The thermal neutron flux, epithermal neutron flux and fast neutron flux at the irradiation position were (2.3160.03)x108,Protein Expression Quantification by Flow CytometryAfter irradiation, cells in supernatant and adherent cells were pelleted by centrifugation at 1800 rpm for 10 min and incubated with 1 mg of specific anti-Bax, anti-Bad, anti-caspase 8, anti-Bcl2, anti-cytochrome c, anti-Hsp47, anti-TNF receptor (tumor necrosisApoptosis in Melanoma Cells after BNCTApoptosis in Melanoma Cells after BNCTFigure 2. Determination of collagen-related markers in B16F10 melanoma cells and normal melanocytes (mean 6 s.d.). (A) Synthesis of soluble collagen in B16F10 melanoma cells after BNCT treatment and neutron irradiation alone (irradiated control) compared to cells without any treatment (control). (B) Synthesis of soluble collagen in normal melanocytes after BNCT treatment and neutron irradiation alone (irradiated control) compared to cells without any treatment (control). (C) Expression of ECM collagen in B16F10 melanoma cells after BNCT treatment and neutron irradiatio.