Prenatal and neonatal irradiation in dogs: hematologic and hematopoietic responses

Hematologic and hematopoietic responses were evaluated in beagle dogs following a single prenatal (35 days gestation) or neonatal (10 days postpartum) exposure to 1.5 Gy 60Co gamma radiation. Hematopoiesis was studied by the in vitro culture of bone marrow granulocyte-macrophage progenitors (CFU-GM). Prenatally irradiated dogs exhibited a progressive, significant reduction in CFU-GM which was accompanied by decreases in peripheral blood leukocytes up to 24 weeks of age. Dogs which were neonatally irradiated also demonstrated a significant reduction in CFU-GM which was accompanied by significant alterations in peripheral white and red blood cell parameters. This was transient, however, and these dogs showed partial recovery of CFU-GM and hematologic parameter by 24 weeks of age. The persistent CFU-GM deficit in prenatally irradiated dogs suggests a relatively greater sensitivity of fetal marrow as compared to neonatal bone marrow for long-term damage by ionizing radiation.