Stress and radiation carcinogenesis in mice

In the present experiment irritation consisting of the combination of an optic signal followed by a mild electric shock administered at regular intervals was started in 2 groups of animals at the age of 3 months. At 4 months of age, one of the irritated and one of the non-irritated groups were exposed to whole-body gamma irradiation with 20 daily doses of 0.5 Gy (50 rad), 1.4 Gy/min (140 rad/min), while the other 2 groups were sham-irradiated. The animals were autopsied and the specimens were microscopically studied for the presence of malignant tumors. Malignant tumors particularly involving the testes and lungs, and leukosis were found in 29% of males, whereas in females the tumor incidence with mammary, pulmonary and ovarian involvement and leukosis was 39%. The irradiation decreased the minimum latency time in the irritated males and both female groups. In males, the irritation lowered the cumulative prevalence of malignant tumors, a significant decrease being noted at the age of 15 months. In females, it was increased, with a significant rise observed to occur at the end of the experiment. The opposite effects of irritation on the radiation carcinogenesis in males and females can be attributed to the radiation-induced specific alterations of the gonads in females and, in part, to a longer survival time observed in the irradiated females. (author)