Retention and dosimetry of injected 241Am in beagles

Equations have been derived, from the results of total-body and partial-body counting and gamma-ray counting of individual bones and soft tissues, which describe the retention of injected 241Am in the liver, in the nonliver tissue (including skeleton), and in the skeleton of young adult beagles. Retention was found to be dependent upon injection level, and different sets of equations were developed for dogs given about (a) 2.8 microCi/kg (b) 0.9 microCi/kg (c) 0.3 microCi/kg, and (d) 0.1 microCi/kg and less. Liver rention, RL, was characterized by a single exponential equation of the form RL = ce-beta t, with c = 0.49 +/- 0.04 and beta = a function of injection level. Nonliver tissue was assigned a retention equation of the form RNL = d + alpha + J(l - e-mt), with d = 0.102 +/- 0.024 e-1.22t, alpha = 0.41 +/- 0.04, and both J and m as a function of injection level. Skeletal retention was found to be about 0.885 +/- 0.037 of nonliver retention with no significant dependence upon either injection level or time after 241Am injection. Dosimetry equations based on these retention expressions were derived. Individual bones of 55 beagles were assayed at death for their 241Am content for a determination of 241Am distribution within the skeleton.     

Determining liver retention of transuranium elements in living beagles

Summary A method has been developed whereby the liver content of photon-emitting transuranium elements can be determined in living beagles by a combination of total-body and partial-body counting. Calibration of the system was accomplished through the photon counting of intact dogs and also of the parts of the same animals following autopsy. A determination of the calibration factors for²⁵²Cf,²⁴⁷Cf,²⁴³Cm,²³⁷Pu, and²⁴¹Am has been made. The special case of²⁵²Cf was treated in which a significant fraction of the high energy fission gamma-ray spectrum penetrates the Pb shield employed in partial-body counting, and methods were developed which allow for this effect in the calculation of liver content. Some uniformity of response in the system was evident for all of the emitters which were considered. It is proposed that similar techniques could be applied in the determination of selected organ radioactivity in other species including man.Supported by ERDA Contract E (11-1)-119.     

The activity ratio of 228Th to 228Ra in bone tissue of recently deceased humans: a new dating method in forensic examinations

Reliable determination of time since death in human skeletons or single bones often is limited by methodically difficulties. Determination of the specific activity ratio of natural radionuclides, in particular of 232Th (Thorium), 228Th and 228Ra (Radium) seems to be a new appropriate method to calculate the post mortem interval. These radionuclides are incorporated by any human being, mainly from food. So with an individual's death the uptake of radionuclides ends. But the decay of 232Th produces 228Ra and 228Th due to its decay series, whereas 228Th is continuously built up in the human's bones. Thus, it can be concluded that in all deceased humans at different times after death different activity ratios of 228Th to 228Ra will develop in bone. According to this fact it should be possible to calculate time since death of an individual by first analysing the specific activities of 228Th and 228Ra in bones of deceased and then determining the 228Th/228Ra activity ratio, which can be assigned to a certain post-mortem interval.     

Familial hyperlipoproteinemia in beagles

Canine serum lipoproteins (Lp) were studied by electrophoretic and immunologic techniques. Two of five normal beagles on a regular diet were spontaneously “hyperlipidemic”.Using the double-layer separating gel, polyacrylamide gel (PAG) block electrophoresis method, α₁-, α₂-, and β-Lps were consistently detected. While α₁-Lp was the major serum Lp in normolipidemic dogs, α₂- and β-Lps were elevated in the “hyperlipidemic” animals. The α₁-Lp and α₂-Lp exhibited A₁ and A₂ antigenic components and β-Lp had B and C components. We propose that in all probability α₁- and α₂-Lp have similar A₁, A₂ components, but that β-Lp contains both B and C components. This suggests that α₁- and α₂-Lps, particularly in beagles with familial hyperlipoproteinemia are distinct Lp entities with similar lipid composition and with two common major antigenic components. The albumin fraction of PAG block electrophoretograms contained lipid materials other than free fatty acids. This albumin-lipid complex may be similar to that observed in guinea pig serum. On the basis of this study, the α₂-Lp of dogs is a distinct and important Lp moiety which is elevated in the early stages of both familial and experimental canine hyperlipoproteinemia.     

Nonteratogenicity of captan in beagles.

Thirty and 60 mg/kg captan, administered in the diet during the entire gestation period or during gestation and an 8-week lactation period, caused no adverse effects in either mothers or progeny, and captan is thus judged to be nonteratogenic in beagles.     

Spontaneous cor pulmonale in laboratory beagles

Right heart failure associated with postmortem evidence of pulmonary hypertension (cor pulmonale) was observed in nearly 1% of the young beagles of a large research colony. During the past 18 years, 176 dogs with cor pulmonale were observed. Most cases occurred between September and April of each year. Nearly equal numbers of males and females were involved, and some siblings were affected. Ninety-six percent of known affected dogs died, and 85% of the deaths occurred by 5 weeks of age. Clinically, most dogs were stunted and exhibited ascites, subcutaneous edema, hypothermia, dyspnea, cyanosis, and systolic murmur. Radiography revealed cardiomegaly, and electrocardiography revealed right axis deviation and an enlarged right atrium. Postmortem evidence of cor pulmonale included subcutaneous edema, ascites, hydrothorax, mediastinal and mesenteric edema, splenomegaly, centrolobular hepatic congestion and necrosis, right ventricular hypertrophy, interstitial pneumonia, and medial hypertrophy of pulmonary arteries and arterioles. The specific cause of the disease was not determined.     

A comparison of the natural survival of beagle dogs injected intravenously with low levels of 239Pu, 226Ra, 228Ra, 228Th, or 90Sr

The natural survival, relative to properly chosen controls, of 26 beagle dogs injected once intravenously with an average of 0.58 +/- 0.04 kBq 239Pu/kg, 23 dogs injected with 2.31 +/- 0.43 kBq 226Ra/kg, 13 dogs injected with 1.84 +/- 0.26 kBq 228Ra/kg, 12 dogs injected with 0.56 +/- 0.030 kBq 228Th/kg, and 12 dogs injected with 21.13 +/- 1.74 kBq 90Sr/kg was evaluated statistically. The amounts of these radionuclides are related directly to the estimated maximum permissible body burdens for humans suggested in ICRP II (1959). They constitute a level of exposure that initially was assumed to cause no deleterious effects in dogs. This study had two objectives: (1) identification of homogeneous control groups against which to evaluate the survival of the irradiated groups and (2) comparison of the survival characteristics and estimation of mortality or hazard rate ratios for control dogs vs dogs injected with the baseline dosages given above. It was shown, by goodness-of-fit plots, that the Cox proportional hazards model was an appropriate method of analysis. Therefore, covariates that possibly could influence survival were tested for significance. Only the effects of grand mal seizure, which is caused in epileptic dogs by an external stimulus and can be fatal if untreated, were significant (P less than 0.0001). Consequently, in the final model, death from grand mal seizure was considered as accidental. After censoring the dogs dying from grand mal seizure, it was established that the data for the control groups from previous and contemporary experiments could be pooled. The change in hazard rates relative to controls resulting from exposure to the baseline radionuclide level was modest, 1.6 times for 239Pu (P = 0.033), 1.0(4) for 226Ra (P = 0.86), 1.9 for 228Ra (P = 0.035), 2.5 for 228Th (P less than 0.001), and 0.52 for 90Sr (P = 0.041). Bone tumor induction was clearly elevated in dogs injected with 239Pu and 228Th. When the effect of these bone tumors on survival was removed by censoring, the dogs injected with 239Pu were indistinguishable from the controls. In contrast, the effects of bone tumor on group survival of the 228Ra and 228Th dogs were not significant. Thus, no additional life-shortening effects beyond those attributable to bone tumor were suggested by these data for 239Pu, but other, as yet unspecified, confounders are suggested for 228Ra and 228Th.