[Radiobiological effects of total mice irradiation with Bragg's peak protons]

Outbred CD-1 female mice were irradiated in a proton beam (171 MeV, 5 Gy) on the phasotron at the Joint Institute of Nuclear Research (Dubna, Russia). Radiation was delivered in two points of the depth dose distribution: at the beam entry and on Bragg's peak. Technical requirements for studying the effects of Bragg's peak protons on organism of experimental animals were specified. It was recognized that protons with high linear energy transfer (mean LET = 1.6 keV/microm) cause a more severe damaging effect to the hemopoietic system and cytogenetic apparatus in bone marrow cells as compared with entry protons and 60Co gamma-quanta. It was shown that recovery of the main hemopoietic organs and immunity as well as elimination of chromosomal aberrations take more time following irradiation with Bragg's peak protons but not protons with the energy of 171 MeV.