FIG. 5.

Comparison of the total number of statistically significant ions (Welch’s t test and Barnard’s test) among different biofluids, doses and time points. All differences in both panels were calculated as N/X. Panel A: Equidose analysis between neutrons and X rays. Neutron irradiation led to severe metabolic dysregulation, more pronounced in urine (4.2-fold difference at day 1 and 1.7 at day 7). Serum metabolomics showed similar patterns with high fold differences at day 1 (4.1 for metabolomics and 5.2 for lipidomics), decreasing levels to 0.9–1.7 at day 7. Panel B: The number of statistically significant ions was determined through univariate analysis of dose to controls and combining the number identified through Welch’s test and Barnard’s test. Fold changes as high as 7.1 at day 1 and increased metabolic perturbations in the neutron irradiated groups further show that neutrons have a higher biological effect compared to photons. Such dramatic effects disappeared by day 7, with fold changes ranging from 0.4 to 1.3