Radiobiology of stem cells in intestinal epithelium. Effect of single and multiple preliminary sublethal irradiation of mice on the dose dependence of the survival of stem cells in small intestine epithelium

After a single or three-fold whole body irradiation of mice with a dose of 4 Gy and the time interval for the proliferation to be restored (5 days or 3 weeks) the survival curve for stem cells of small intestine epithelium with regard to radiation dose was the same as that for non-preirradiated mice. This indicated that the proliferative potential of stem cells in these experimental conditions was not reduced.