1060 



RADIATION BIOLOGY 



PLUTONIUM (Pu 239 ) 



There appeared to be no significant species difference in the sensitivity 

 of the hematopoietic system of the mouse, rat, or rabbit to plutonium 

 given intravenously or intramuscularly as a citrate in doses of 0.001- 

 0.119 Mc/g of body weight to rabbits and in doses of 0.003-0.125 /zc/g of 

 body weight to the rat. Doses of 0.0062 /xc/g of body weight produced 

 a moderate-to-severe and sustained leukopenia in all three species and 

 caused an anemia in mice and rats resulting in early death in these two 



7 28 49 70 91 



TIME AFTER INJECTION, days 

 t>— -a SPLENECTOMY PLUS Sr 89 (2.0 fic/q) 

 a— ^SPLENECTOMY ALONE 

 o oSr 89 ALONE (2.0^c/g) 



Fig. 16-15. Erythrocyte values of normal and splenectomized rats injected with a 

 single dose of Sr 89 , 2.0 /ic/g. 



species (135 days). Doses above 0.0063 jxc/g of body weight produced 

 a correspondingly more severe and sustained anemia, leukopenia, and 

 reticulocyte and platelet reduction in mice and rats (Jacobson and 

 Simmons, 1946c). 



The fact that effects on the hematopoietic system are seen in the 

 peripheral blood of plutonium-injected animals whereas comparable 

 doses of injected radium produce no such changes and yet give rise to 

 bone tumors earlier and in greater number may be related to difference in 

 the site of deposition of the two elements. 



GOLD (Au 198 ) 



Wheeler, Jackson, and Hahn (1951) studied the hematologic effect of 

 radiogold in 14 dogs receiving intravenously 1 ^c/kg. All dogs showed 



