Low-dose (diagnostic-like) x-ray as a cocarcinogen in mouse colon carcinoma

To test the hypothesis that low-dose (diagnostic-like) radiation may play the part of a cocarcinogen in inflammatory bowel disease, we used four groups of BALB/C mice, (a control, dimethylhydrazine, dimethylhydrazine plus low-dose radiation, and low-dose radiation). We found no protective or carcinogen effects of the radiation in combination with dimethylhydrazine compared to dimethylhydrazine alone. This type of negative experimental finding is important in that individuals with inflammatory bowel disease have many diagnostic x-rays throughout life.