Productive Death of Mammalian Cells Due to ETA-radiation from Incorporated Thymidine Labelled With 3H or 14C

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Survival of mammalian cells cultured in vitro has been determined following incorporation of thymidine labelled with 3H or 14C. Survival decreased with increase of concentration in the medium (μc/ml) and also with thymidine specific activity (mc/μmole), the latter effect being much greater at higher concentration levels. After 48 hr incubation at a concentration of 0.05 μc/ml at a specific activity of 2 mc/μmole, there were no surviving cells capable of forming colonies. Approximately the same survival was obtained with 3H- and 14C-thymidine for the same concentration of 0.5 μc/ml at a specific activity of 0.03 mc/μmole and estimates show that, because of the different particle ranges for the two isotopes, the nuclear radiation dose would be similar under these conditions. The possible hazard of 3H thymidine at very high specific activity is emphasized.