Primary liver tumors in beagle dogs exposed by inhalation to aerosols of plutonium-238 dioxide

Journal Article · Tue Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Am. J. Pathol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6598508

Gillett, N A; Muggenburg, B A; Mewhinney, J A; Hahn, F F; Seiler, F A; Boecker, B B; McClellan, R O

Primary liver tumors developed in Beagle dogs exposed by inhalation to aerosols of /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/. Initial deposition of /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ in the respiratory tract was followed by translocation of a portion of the /sup 238/Pu to the liver and skeleton, which resulted in a large dose commitment and tumor risk to all three tissues. In a population of 144 dogs exposed to /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/, 112 dogs died or were killed 4000 days after /sup 238/Pu exposure, 100 dogs had osteosarcoma, and 28 dogs had lung cancers. At increasing times after exposure, however, liver lesions have become more pronounced. Ten primary liver tumors in nine animals were diagnosed in the dogs dying before 4000 days after exposure. An additional five primary liver tumors in three dogs occurred in 9 animals killed after 4000 days after exposure. The majority of these tumors have been fibrosarcomas. The liver tumors were usually not the cause of death, and rarely metastasized. The occurrence of liver tumors in this study indicates that /sup 238/Pu is an effective hepatic carcinogen. Liver carcinogenesis is assuming an increasing importance in this study at late times after inhalation exposure. These results suggest that the liver may be an important organ at risk for the development of neoplasia in humans at time periods long after inhalation of /sup 238/Pu.

• Research Organization: Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6598508
• Journal Information: Am. J. Pathol.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Pathol.; (United States) Vol. 133:2; ISSN AJPAA
• 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
AEROSOLS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ANIMALS
BEAGLES
BODY
CARCINOGENESIS
COLLOIDS
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
DOGS
DOSES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EXPERIMENTAL NEOPLASMS
FIBROSARCOMAS
GLANDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
INHALATION
INTAKE
ISOTOPES
LIVER
MAMMALS
NEOPLASMS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
NUCLEI
ORGANS
PATHOGENESIS
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIATION DOSES
RADIOACTIVE AEROSOLS
RADIOINDUCTION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
SARCOMAS
SKELETON
SOLS
UPTAKE
VERTEBRATES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES