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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Plutonium in bone: a high resolution autoradiographic study using plutonium-241.

Plutonium-241 citrate solution at pH 6-5 was injected intravenously into hamsters and an adult rabbit at a dose of 10 kBq g-1 (260 nCi g-1). The hamsters were killed serially at 15 min, 2 hours, 1 day, 10 days, 1 month and 6 months after injection and the rabbit at 1 week. Their knee-joints or femora were examined for plutonium-241 by autoradiography. Few differences were found between the pattern of plutonium distribution in the hamsters and the rabbit. The results showed that although plutonium is initially distributed on bone surfaces, at long periods after injection it becomes deposited throughout the bone matrix. Plutonium uptake by cells in resorbing areas of periosteum, in active osteoblasts, and in chondrocytes in regions of cartilage mineralization was rapid. Plutonium concentrated more slowly on the resting bone surfaces and at sites of low metabolic activity. In addition, some unlabelled sections of skeletal tissues were immersed in a plutonium-241 citrate solution. When autoradiographed, it was found that plutonium was bound by cell nuclei, tooth enamel matrix, dentine, predentine and bone matrix. Plutonium binding to cartilage matrix was weak. The results are discussed with reference to the literature, and a model is proposed to explain the distribution pattern and fate of plutonium deposits in bone.

Animals

The calculation of annual limits of intake for plutonium-239 in man using a bone model which allows for plutonium burial and recycling.

Values of the annual limit of intake (ALI) for plutonium-239 in man have been calculated using committed dose equivalent limits as recommended by ICRP in Publication 26. The calculations were made using a multicompartment bone model which allows for plutonium burial and recycling in the skeleton. In one skeletal compartment, the growing surfaces of cortical bone, it is assumed that plutonium deposits are retained and are not subject to resorption or recycling. In the trabecular bone compartment plutonium is taken to be resorbed with either subsequent redeposition onto bone surfaces or retention in the bone marrow. ALIs for plutonium-239 have been calculated assuming a range of rates of bone accretion (0-32 micron yr-1), different amounts of plutonium retained in the marrow (0-60%) and a 20%, 45% or 70% deposition of plutonium in the skeleton from the blood. The calculations made using this bone model suggest that 750 Bq (20 nCi) is an appropriate ALI for the inhalation of class W and class Y plutonium compounds and that 830 kBq and 5 MBq (23 muCi and 136 muCi) are the appropriate ALIs for the ingestion of soluble and insoluble forms of plutonium respectively.

Administration, Oral

The ultrastructure of mouse testicular interstitial tissue containing plutonium-239 and its significance in explaining the observed distribution of plutonium in the testis.

The technique of autoradiography with Araldite-embedded sections was used to study the distribution of 239Pu in mouse testis at various times post-injection. Adjacent sections were examined with both the light microscope and electron microscope. The autoradiographs showed that from 1 week to 3 months postinjection, most 239Pu in located in interstitial tissue. The major change in distribution observed was that the early diffuse deposit in interstitial tissue is concentrated in macrophages with increasing time post-injection. This is a real change of distribution as the amount of 239Pu in mouse testis remains constant from 1 week to 3 months post-injection. Study of the ultrastructure of interstitial tissue indicated that the accumulation of 239Pu in macrophages may be brought about in two ways. First, there may be phagocytosis of dead cells containing 239Pu. Second, 239Pu may follow the transfer of waste products of hormone synthesis from Leydig cells into macrophages. The significance of these observations is discussed with regard to the deposition of 239Pu in human testis.

Animals