Effect of Partial Shielding by Grids on Survival of X-irradiated Rats

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Abstract
Exposure of rats to equal volume doses of X-radiation (200 kg. roentgens) through grids having various diam. hole size but a constant open area to closed area ratio resulted in increasingly greater survival as the hole size was decreased. Significantly greater survival was obtained in animals exposed through grids than in animals directly exposed to total body irradiation of equal volume dosage. This increased survival found in rats exposed through grids probably results from repair initiated in the irradiated areas by adjacent normal tissue. The observation that survival was directly related to the area of the interface between normal and irradiated tissue supports the concept of a local effect of shielding. It appears that under proper conditions the local effects may be more beneficial than the remote effects in protecting animals from radiation.