[Quantitative and qualitative changes in the peripheral blood cells of rats in chronic irradiation of the animals]

A study was made of qualitative and quantitative changes in peripheral blood lymphocytes of rats subjected to continuous totalbody gamma-irradiation at dose--rates from 0.002 to 0.35 Gy/day and cumulative doses from 0.7 to 20.0 Gy. After termination of irradiation (on the 400th-500th day), the number of lymphocytes changed in an undulatory manner, i. e., increased at a dose--rate of 0.008 Gy/day, and decreased down to minimum control values at a dose--rate of 0.35 Gy/day, and the fraction of young macrocellular forms increased. The effect increased with increase in dose--rate and cumulative dose.