This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Priest, N.D. Articles by Hainesl, J.W. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Priest, N.D. Articles by Hainesl, J.W. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Autoradiographic Studies of the Distribution of Radium-226 in Rat Bone: Their Implications for Human Radiation Dosimetry and Toxicity

National Radiological Protection Board Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX110RQ

G. Howells

Medical Research Council, Radiobiology Unit, Harwell, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0RD

D. Green

Medical Research Council, Radiobiology Unit, Harwell, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0RD

J.W. Hainesl

National Radiological Protection Board Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX110RQ

A solution containing ²²⁶Ra chloride was injected into young female rats via the saphenous vein. Subsequently, the distribution and retention of the ²²⁶Ra in the skeleton was studied. The results show that:

1 ²²⁶Ra is initially deposited in the rat femur as a volume deposit and is fairly evenly distributed throughout the bone matrix.

2 Much of the ²²⁶Ra initially deposited in the skeleton is lost within a few days of its administration.

3 During the first week ²²⁶Ra gradually accumulates at sites of bone deposition including accreting surfaces.

4 Subsequent bone growth results in the burial of contaminated bone surfaces and

5 Following bone resorption some of the ²²⁶Ra released from individual bones is recycled systemically so that all skeletal components tend towards a uniform ²²⁶Ra concentration per unit of bone mineral.

Of the two models conventionally used for radiation dosimetry purposes, the results reported here for rats suggest that though neither is ideal, the volume distribution model is preferable to the surface model at all times after the uptake of radium by the skeleton.

Human & Experimental Toxicology, Vol. 2, No. 3, 479-496 (1983)
DOI: 10.1177/096032718300200304


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?