Response of different species to high dose total body irradiation

During the past decade relatively few new studies have been initiated on the response of different species to high-dose total irradiation. The experimental data from various laboratories show a considerable variation in LD(50/30d) values. Part of the discrepancies in the LD50 values can possibly be attributed to inadequacies in the dosimetry procedures and exposure arrangements employed. In this paper, a summary of LD(50/30d) values in rodents (generally irradiated at an age of about 12 weeks) employed at the REP institutes is given. For the same species considerable differences in radiosensitivity are observed. Moreover, the influence of the inhomogeneity of the dose distribution on the survival of haemopoietic stem cell is illustrated in a table. (Auth.)