[Cytogenetic study of the bone marrow and peripheral blood lymphocytes in monkeys in long-term gamma irradiation]

A comparative study of chromosome structures of bone marrow and peripheral blood cells has been carried out in 8 rhesus macaques (2-7 years of age), 4 of which survived after prolonged low-capacity (3.87 microA/kg) gamma irradiation, the total dose being 7.97 Gy (LD50/60). It has been established that prolonged low-capacity gamma irradiation was of a high mutagenic activity. Various tissues of irradiated monkeys showed differences in the frequency (4 months) and types (4-33 months) of aberrations within the period of 4 to 33 months following irradiation. Mutagenic effect characteristic of the early period after the irradiation was retained in the peripheral blood of irradiated monkeys within the period of observation.