Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Intestinal radiation injury: the lower bowel syndrome

Journal Article · · Radiat. Res.; (United States)
OSTI ID:7025005

Newborn, weanling, and adult rats were gavaged with the strong beta emitting nuclide complex ruthenium-106/rhodium-106. The LD/sub 50/ doses obtained were 2, 20, and 9 mCi/kg. Average survival times were 10, 4.5, and 8.4 days respectively. Deaths of weanlings and adults were caused by damage to the large bowel but damage to the lower ileum caused by incorporation of /sup 106/Ru into the epithelium was usually more severe than large bowel injury in the neonates. Beagle dogs given /sup 106/Ru per os showed an LD/sub 50/ of approximately 3.7 mCi/kg, and an average survival time of about 15 days. The symptoms exhibited by this large animal species differed markedly from that seen in rodents, being expressed mainly by vomiting, anorexia, and a bloody diarrhea that often persisted for 3 or 4 weeks after /sup 106/Ru ingestion. Damage to the colon was severe, consisting of a flattening of the mucosa, and a complete loss of glandular structures. In the animals that survived high doses a chronic ulcerative colitis persisted which showed little tendency to repair during the 60 day observation period. These results indicate that the radiosensitivity of the G.I. tract to ingested ''non-absorbed'' radionuclide is dependent on both age, and the passage time of the contents through the gastrointestinal tract; damage being confined almost exclusively to the lower bowel. Further, they suggest that the response of a large animal, and perhaps man, to an ingested lethal dose of a nuclide may be very different than has been observed in small animals.

OSTI ID:
7025005
Journal Information:
Radiat. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: Radiat. Res.; (United States) Vol. 62; ISSN RAREA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English