Does x radiation of the preconceptional mammalian ovum lead to sterility and/or congenital anomalies

It is now well established that x radiation of the developing mammalian embryo or early fetus can lead to congenital anomalies. Incidental to x radiation of the pregnant animal, the gonads of the developing fetus and the adjacent mature gonads of the mother are also exposed. Reports of the effects of such x radiation on the prefertilized ovum and oocytes have appeared, but none has been aimed specifically at determining the degree and onset of sterility and the incidence of resorptions and congenital anomalies. It is the purpose of this study to answer these questions relating both to the immediate effects on the gonads and any persistent postradiation effects on the offspring of the parental stock, as well as sterility and anomalies that might occur among the F2 generation as a result of brother and sister matings. The results of this study provide experimental insight into the possible consequences to fertilizability of exposure of the unfertilized ovum or earlier oocyte and the possibility that exposure causes the development of congenital anomalies