LONGEVITY IN NEUTRON-EXPOSED GUINEA PIGS,
Abstract
Life span data has been accumulated for male guinea pigs from a specific pathogen free Hartley strain colony, maintained on a vitamin C supplemented diet. Observations were made on 25 sham-irradiated controls and 78 animals exposed as young adults to a simulated fission energy spectrum of neutrons obtained by the bombardment of a thick beryllium target with 12 Mev protons. The neutron-exposed groups included 18 animals subjected to a high sublethal dose (100 rads, first collision dose), and 60 animals which were the 30-day survivors of 120-160 rad doses. Approximately 11 to 72% of the animals died during the first 30 days after 120-160 rads. It was found that the median age at death for the sham-exposed controls was 828 days. The median age at death was 730 days for animals exposed to the sublethal dose and 698 days for the survivors of the 30-day lethal dose range. Both median life span values are significantly (p < 0.01, analysis of variance) smaller than that for controls. The observations in the guinea pig regarding a reduction in life span after a single total-body exposure to neutrons, corroborate in an additional species, the conclusions previously based solely on studies of rats and mice. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 03, 1965
- Accession Number
- AD0626997
Entities
People
- Dave C. Jones
- Donald J. Kimeldorf
- Richard D. Phillips
Organizations
- Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory