The Effect of ¹³¹I on the Aberration-rate of Chromosomes from Chinese Hamster Thyroids

Summary

We have studied the effects of ¹³¹I on the chromosomal aberration-rate of thyroid cells from the Chinese hamster. The animals were given a single injection of ¹³¹I intraperitoneally, and after selected intervals of time the thyroids were removed and the cells grown in tissue culture.

It was found that thyroid cells are sensitive to irradiation as indicated by chromosome damage at dose-levels as low as 6 rad. There was also an increase in the number of cells containing aberrations over the time-intervals studied, suggesting a persistence of these cells for long periods of time. Dicentrics and other forms of the chromosome type of aberration occurred most frequently, indicating that most of the injury took place while the thyroid cells were in the G₁ stage of the cell-cycle.