Life Span, Tumor Incidence, and Intercapillary Glomerulosclerosis in the Chinese Hamster (Cricetulus griseus) after Whole-Body and Partial-Body Exposure to X-Rays

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The mean life span of the unirradiated Chinese hamster (young adult) was found to be 1045 days for males and 959 days for females. Young adult hamsters had been exposed to 250-kvcp X-rays (whole-body or partial-body), and the following results apply to the animals alive 100 days after exposure (about 235 days of age). The life-shortening effect of whole-body exposure (550 rads) was relatively more severe than in other species, although the LD50(28) is relatively higher. Judged by survival, the anterior half of the body was much more vulnerable than the posterior half when these regions were irradiated separately; further, the response to whole-body exposure appeared to be determined largely by the dose to the anterior half. A total of 49 tumors at 11 body sites was found in 309 autopsied animals, an over-all incidence rate of 0.16. A significant increase resulting from irradiation was established only in the ovary, where the most common tumor was the theca cell form. The data suggested the possibility of an increase in leukemia, in renal tumors, and in interstitial cell tumors of the testis. Progressive intercapillary glomerulosclerosis, a process associated with aging, was observed in the kidneys of all animals examined. This lesion was accelerated by irradiation and, in general, was similar to that described in the mouse. Study of the pancreas revealed no evidence of the histological changes commonly associated with diabetes mellitus in the Chinese hamster, nor of other degenerative or neoplastic disease. Therefore diabetes could be excluded as a cause of renal lesions observed in aging and irradiated animals.

This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit: