Effects of gadolinium on the retention and translocation of 239Pu-hydroxide

The effect of gadolinium on the lung retention, excretion, and translocation of plutonium was studied in rats instilled intratracheally with plutonium hydroxide with and without gadolinium. Three types of plutonium hydroxide were prepared: pure 239Pu-hydroxide colloid, that containing a high concentration of gadolinium, and that containing a low concentration of gadolinium. The lung retention of 239Pu was higher and the fecal excretion was lower in the rats administered 239Pu-hydroxide containing a high concentration of gadolinium than those administered pure 239Pu-hydroxide colloid. The translocation of 239Pu from lung to other organs including the liver, spleen, femur, and kidney was not affected by gadolinium. The cytological examination of bronchoalveolar lavage cells showed that the administration of 239Pu-hydroxide containing a high concentration of gadolinium induced the inflammatory reactions in the lung. The delayed alveolar clearance of plutonium in the rats administered 239Pu-hydroxide colloid containing a high concentration of gadolinium may be attributable to the change in physicochemical characteristics of colloid and the inflammation induced in the lung by gadolinium.