Toxicity of 137 CsCl in the Beagle. Early Biological Effects

Abstract

The toxicity of ${}^{137}{\rm CsCl}$ , because of a relatively uniform whole-body exposure, has been investigated as part of a program to evaluate the biological effects of internally deposited radionuclides. Sixty-six beagles (12-14 months of age) were given ${}^{137}{\rm CsCl}$ in saline iv to provide one group of six dogs with mean initial body burdens of 3800 μCi ${}^{137}{\rm Cs}/{\rm kg}$ and five groups of 12 dogs each with mean initial body burdens of 2800, 1900, 1400, 970, and 0 μCi ${}^{137}{\rm CsCl}$ . Eleven dogs have died at less than 1 year postinjection: the six at the highest level between 19 and 33 days with cumulative whole-body doses of 950-1400 rads; four in the 2800 μCi/kg group between 24 and 81 days with cumulative whole-body doses of 860-1400 rads; and one at 77 days in the 1900 μCi/kg group with a cumulative whole-body dose of 1300 rads. Prior to death, all dogs became febrile, anorexic, hemorrhagic...