DOE life-span radiation effects studies in experimental animals at University of Utah Division of Radiobiology

The Radiobiology Laboratory at the University of Utah compared the long-term biological effects of 226Ra and 239Pu in adult beagles. The program includes the investigation of other radionuclides. More recently, groups of juvenile and aged beagles were added to the study to investigate the influence of age at exposure. These studies involved single intravenous injection of radionuclides to small groups of beagles, in graded doses from levels at which no effects were expected up to levels where a 100% incidence of bone tumors was sometimes found. Some of the principal effects were bone tumors, fractures, and other skeletal alterations observed radiographically and histologically; emphasis was placed on the detection of precancerous changes, hematological changes, and changes related to aging. Emphasis was also placed on metabolic and autoradiographic studies necessary for good radiation dosimetry