Promotion of pulmonary carcinogenesis by plutonium particle aggregation following inhalation of /sup 239/PuO/sub 2/
Promotion of lung tumor formation from inhaled /sup 239/PuO/sub 2/ in rats may be associated with aggregation of plutonium particles near bronchioles. The relationship of plutonium particle aggregation in the lung and the development of lung tumors after inhalation of /sup 239/PuO/sub 2/ was studied in 664 life span rats with mean lung doses ranging from 0.35 to 20 Gy. Plutonium particle concentration and aggregation were determined from autoradiographic sections of the left lung lobe. The increase in particles/cm2 and mean number of particles per aggregate up to 20 Gy were directly proportional to lung dose. Aggregates with greater than 25 particles increased linearly with dose from 0.2% at 1.4 Gy to 8.2% at 20 Gy, in a pattern similar to increasing severity of pulmonary fibrosis and incidence of lung tumors. Lung tumor incidence increased from about 6% at 1.4 Gy to 83% at 8 Gy; no further increase in lung tumors was seen at doses greater than 8 Gy. Maximum lung tumor incidence at 8 Gy corresponded to a particle concentration of 130/cm2 and four particles/aggregate with 4% of aggregates having greater than 25 particles. Aggregation of inhaled plutonium particles in clusters of greater than 25 particles resulted in daily doses of only a few centigray to focal tissue regions containing clustered particles, yet these doses appeared sufficient to cause pulmonary fibrosis and promotion of pulmonary carcinogenesis.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6536616
- Journal Information:
- Radiat. Res.; (United States), Vol. 116:3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
EXPERIMENTAL NEOPLASMS
RADIOINDUCTION
LUNGS
PLUTONIUM 239
CARCINOGENESIS
DISEASE INCIDENCE
INHALATION
LIFE SPAN
RADIATION DOSES
RATS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ANIMALS
BODY
DOSES
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
INTAKE
ISOTOPES
MAMMALS
NUCLEI
ORGANS
PATHOGENESIS
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RODENTS
VERTEBRATES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
560162* - Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology- Animals
Plants
Microorganisms
& Cells