Cancer incidence and lifespan vs. alpha-particle dose in beagles

Journal Article · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Health Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-198705000-00013· OSTI ID:6327127

Mays, C W; Lloyd, R D; Taylor, G N; Wrenn, M E

Young adult beagles were injected with graded activities of /sup 239/Pu, /sup 241/Am, /sup 228/Th, /sup 228/Ra or /sup 226/Ra and observed throughout their lifespans. The vast majority of the dose was from alpha particles. The lifetime incidence of bone sarcoma increased with average skeletal dose, more or less linearly up to high incidence for /sup 239/Pu, /sup 241/Am, /sup 228/Th and /sup 226/Ra, but sigmoid fashion for /sup 228/Ra. Based on average skeletal dose, the toxicity of the emitters relative to /sup 226/Ra = 1.0 was /sup 239/Pu = 16.6 +/- 4.5, /sup 241/Am = 5.4 +/- 1.6, /sup 228/Th = 8.5 +/- 2.3 and /sup 228/Ra = 2.0 +/- 0.5. At the lowest doses, the average lifespans were 97% +/- 3% of that in the controls. If beneficial effects occurred, they may have been overwhelmed by the destructiveness of the densely ionizing alpha particles. A cell nucleus 5 micron in diameter receives a mean dose of about 1 Gy (100 rad) when traversed by a single alpha particle. We found no evidence that alpha-particle doses suppressed cancer or lengthened lifespan in beagles.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City
• OSTI ID: 6327127
• Journal Information: Health Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: Health Phys.; (United States) Vol. 5; ISSN HLTPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560162* -- Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology-- Animals
Plants
Microorganisms
& Cells
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ALPHA PARTICLES
AMERICIUM 241
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
ANIMALS
BEAGLES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CELL NUCLEI
CHARGED PARTICLES
DISEASE INCIDENCE
DISEASES
DOGS
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
DOSES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LET
LIFE SPAN
MAMMALS
METALS
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOINDUCTION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIUM
RADIUM 226
RADIUM 228
RADIUM ISOTOPES
SARCOMAS
THORIUM 238
THORIUM ISOTOPES
VERTEBRATES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES