Late cataractogenesis caused by particulate radiations and photons in long-lived mammalian species

Abstract

Radiation cataractogenesis induced by small acute doses of particulate radiations and photons in the New Zealand white (NZW) rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ), the beagle dog ( Canis familiaris ) and the rhesus monkey ( Macaca mulatta ) is discussed in the context of the use of animal models to assess the radiation hazards faced by humans during lengthy sojourns in deep space. Attention is paid to: 1) the importance of lifespan studies with long-lived species - the above animals have median lifespans in captivity of 5–7, 13–14 and −25 years, respectively; 2) the magnitudes of possible dose thresholds for cataractogenesis from sparsely ionizing radiations and the modifications of those thresholds by the late degenerative phase of the phenomenon.