BACTERIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON ANIMALS EXPOSED TO NEUTRON RADIATION. Project 23.2 of OPERATION UPSHOT-KNOTHOLE

Technical Report · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 UTC 1953

OSTI ID:4063823

Silverman, M S; Bond, V P

Mice exposed to supralethal doses of neutron radiation and combined neutron and gamma radiation from the nuclear device used in Upshot-Knothole 9 (May 8, 1953) died within 2.5 to 4 days. Bacteriological examination of the heart blood and spleen from animals sacrificed while moribund revealed that 78% of the animals receiving only neutron radiation and 96% receiving combined neutron and gamma radiation suffered an extensive invasion by the normal intestinal bacteria. Contrary to findings reported elsewhere on animals exposed to x rays, invasion by two or more species of bacteria was found to be a common occurrence. In a large number of animals examined, positive cultures were obtained only from the spleen. This is interpreted as indicating that, although the filtering mechanism of the spleen stiil functioned, this organ was unable to.destroy the invading bacteria either because of the overwhelming number of bacteria or because of the injury to the spleen itself. Hence the organisms continued to multiply and eventually spilled back into the circulatory system. (auth)

• Research Organization: Naval Radiological Defense Lab., San Francisco
• NSA Number: NSA-15-014122
• OSTI ID: 4063823
• Report Number(s): WT-794
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ANIMALS
BACTERIA
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BLOOD
BLOOD CIRCULATION
GAMMA RADIATION
GLANDS
HEART
LETHAL DOSE
MICE
NEUTRONS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION INJURIES
SPLEEN
X RADIATION