Microdistribution of²³⁹Pu in the Rat Skeleton

Abstract

Sixty-day-old male and female rats were injected intravenously with one of three doses of monomeric 239Pu (1.11, 11.1 and 111 kBq kg-1 body weight) and were killed 1, 7, 14 or 32 days after injection. The macroscopic distribution in the skeleton as well as the microscopic distribution in the distal femur and the lumbar vertebra were studied. In general, no significant differences between the two sexes and the normalized three dose levels were found. The concentrations and dose-rates in hard tissue, marrow and near bone surfaces were lowest in the femur diaphysis and highest in the distal femur metaphysis. In each bone region the dose-rate increased in the order marrow, hard tissue, periosteal and endosteal bone surfaces. The initial dose-rates on the endosteal bone surfaces ranged from 130 mGy d-1 (femur diaphysis) up to 300 mGy d-1 (distal femur metaphysis), corresponding to an average cumulative monthly dose of 2.2 Gy (femur diaphysis) and 7 Gy (distal femur metaphysis) normalized to an injected dose of 37 kBq kg-1 body weight. After the injection of 111 kBq kg-1 body weight radiation, induced morphological changes occur to the distal femur metaphysis 32 days after injection.

Decorporation Approach Following Rat Lung Contamination with a Moderately Soluble Compound of Plutonium Using Local and Systemic Ca-DTPA Combined Chelation

“…All samples were then dissolved in 2 N nitric acid for total alpha activity determination by liquid scintillation counting in Instagel-Plus medium (PerkinElmer) using a Packard apparatus (Tri-Carb 2500 TR/AB, PerkinElmer). Skeletal retention of transuranic actinides was estimated assuming that the two femurs represented 10% of the whole skeleton (28).…”

Microdistribution of237Np in the Skeleton of Female Rats

“…Hot line activities of some 5 kBq cm -1 per injected activity of 37 kBq kg-1 were measured on endosteal and periosteal bone surfaces; this is comparable with the hot line activity of plutonium on the periosteal surfaces, but two times less than the plutonium activity on the endosteal bone surfaces (Sontag 1991) . This is concluded from the persistence of the hot line and hot band activity over 1 year of observation .…”

“…156 Gy (adult rats, 26kBq kg -1 ), whereas after injection of 239 Pu-citrate in 60-day-old female Wistar rats, cumulative doses of 4 .6 Gy were found (Sontag 1991) (all values were normalized to an intake of 37 kBq kg -1 ). 156 Gy (adult rats, 26kBq kg -1 ), whereas after injection of 239 Pu-citrate in 60-day-old female Wistar rats, cumulative doses of 4 .6 Gy were found (Sontag 1991) (all values were normalized to an intake of 37 kBq kg -1 ).…”