CHRONIC EFFECTS OF CONTINUOUS LOW-LEVEL GAMMA RADIATION UPON B VITAMIN REQUIREMENTS

Technical Report · Sun Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1961

OSTI ID:4827706

Ershoff, B H; Graham, T M

Immature male rats were fed a highly purified diet containing low, medium, and high doses of the B vitamins. A fourth group was fed a natural food stock ration. Animals were exposed for periods up to 17 weeks to gamma irradiation from a Cesium-137/Barium-137 source at levels of 0, at the 500 r per week level was significantly longer for rats fed the stock ration than for rats fed the purified diets. No significant difference in growth increment, appearance, organ weights or length of survival attributable to differences in B vitamin content were observed among the various groups. General animal activity measured by an open field test decreased with exposure to radiation up to 8 weeks duration while changes in learning ability were noted after 17 weeks. The composition of the diet employed was without significant effect on activity or learning performance on either irradiated or nonirradiated rats. (auth)

• Research Organization: Western Biological Labs., Culver City, Calif.
• NSA Number: NSA-16-021900
• OSTI ID: 4827706
• Report Number(s): ASD-TR-61-534; AD-271474
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

AGE
BARIUM 137
BEHAVIOR
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
CESIUM 137
DIET
GAMMA RADIATION
LIFETIME
QUANTITY RATIO
RADIATION DOSES
RATS
VITAMIN B GROUP
VITAMINS