The removal of inhaled 144CeCl3 from beagle dogs

Bronchopulmonary lavages of the left lungs of Beagle dogs, with isotonic saline or diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) in saline as lavage media, were performed following a single inhalation exposure of the animals to a 144CeCl3 aerosol. Cerium-144 was removed from the lung in the lavage fluids. Lavage with the DTPA solution in contrast to lavage with the saline solution resulted in an increased urinary excretion of 144Ce When the dogs were sacrificed 28 days post-exposure, the concentration of 144Ce in the lavaged left lung was less than in the untreated right lung. The sacrifice body burdens of 144Ce as a percentage of the initial lung burden were lower in the treated animals than in the control animals. The 28-day cumulative radiation dose to the lungs, liver and skeleton of dogs lavaged with the DTPA solution on the day of exposure were 49, 34 and 36%, respectively, of those in the control group. A DTPA lavage was found more effective than a lavage with isotonic saline solution.