Acute X-Ray Lethality in the Chinese Hamster after Whole-Body and Partial-Body Irradiation

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Acute radiation lethality was studied in the Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus) during the 100-day period after whole-body and partial-body exposure to 250 kvcp X-rays. After whole-body exposure, the dose-effect curve was best determined on day 40 in the males (age 134 [plus or minus] 30 days, weight 31 [plus or minus] 7 g.) and on day 100 in the females (age 133 [plus or minus] 34 days, weight 25[plus or minus]3 g.). The LD50 values were 856 rads for males and 784 rads for females. The pooled male and female data for posterior-body exposure (caudad to the trans-xyphoid plane) under pentobarbital anesthesia showed the dose-effect curves on days 28 and 100 to be alike LD50 = 1297 rads. The analogous data for anterior-body exposure (cephalad to the trans-xyphoid plane) suggested two modes of death - a rapidly acting one, estimated from the deaths occurring within one month of exposure (LD50 = 1650 rads) and a slowly acting one which killed during the interval 40 to 100 days (LD50 = 1211 rads). The results indicate that this species is one of the most radioresistant mammals studied so far.