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Late degeneration in rabbit tissues after irradiation by heavy ionsResults are presented for investigations of the late effects of heavy-ion irradiation on rabbit tissues which were undertaken to assess the hazards associated with the long-term exposure of humans to heavy ions in space during such activities as the construction of solar power stations or voyages to Mars. White rabbits approximately six weeks old were exposed to various doses of collimated beams of 400-MeV/n Ne ions, 570 MeV/n Ar ions and Co-60 gamma rays directed through both eyes, and the responses of the various tissues (hair follicles, skin, cornea, lens, retina, Harderian glands, bone and forebrain) were examined. Proliferating tissues are found to exhibit high damage levels in the early and late periods following irradiation, while terminally differentiating tissues repond to radiation most intensely in the late period, years after irradiation, with no intermediate recovery. The results obtained from rabbits are used to predict the occurrence of late tissue degeneration in the central nervous system, terminally differentiating systems and stem cells of humans one or more decades following exposure to radiation levels anticipated during long-duration space flights. The studies also indicate that tissues may be prematurely aged in the sense that tissue life spans may be shortened without the development of malignancies.
Document ID
19800065895
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Lett, J. T.
(Colorado State Univ. Fort Collins, CO, United States)
Cox, A. B.
(Colorado State Univ. Fort Collins, CO, United States)
Keng, P. C.
(Colorado State Univ. Fort Collins, CO, United States)
Lee, A. C.
(Colorado State Univ. Fort Collins, CO, United States)
Su, C. M.
(Colorado State Univ. Fort Collins, CO, United States)
Bergtold, D. S.
(Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colo., United States)
Date Acquired
August 10, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1980
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Meeting Information
Meeting: Life sciences and space research. Volume 18
Location: Bangalore
Country: India
Start Date: May 29, 1979
End Date: June 9, 1979
Accession Number
80A50065
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSG-9045
CONTRACT_GRANT: NIH-CA-09236
CONTRACT_GRANT: NIH-AG-00005
CONTRACT_GRANT: NIH-CA-05450
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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