The Influence of Ionizing Radiation on Nucleic Acids, Vitality and Fecundating Ability of Male Sexual Cells

Summary

We have followed the influence of various kinds (x, β, γ) and doses (10, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10 000, 20 000, 30 000, 50 000, 100 000 and 150 000 r) of ionizing radiation on male sexual cells of some domestic animals (bull, ram, rabbit, dog) and man.

Vitality and mobility of the sperms are substantially affected only by irradiation with doses of the order of 10³ and 10⁴ r. Changes in the fecundating ability and in the content of nucleic acids are ascertainable already at 10² to 10³ r doses. Based on these observations the hypothesis is formulated that changes in nucleic acids evoked by radiation in sperms used for insemination are one of the main causes both of increased embyronal mortality and of complete inability of fecundating female sexual cells with irradiated sperms.

The changes in the content of nucleic acids, and especially the possibility of NA-synthesis in an early period after irradiation of the sperms and their subsequent degradation, are still under study.