Actinide handling after wound entry with local or systemic decorporation therapy in the rat

Abstract

Background: Treatment of actinide-contaminated wounds may be problematic because of contaminant physicochemical properties, dissemination and anatomical localization. This study investigates different chelation/resection protocols after contamination of rats with americium (Am) or plutonium (Pu) nitrate or mixed oxide (MOX; uranium (U), Pu oxide).

Methods: Anesthetized rats were contaminated with Am or Pu nitrate (moderately soluble) or MOX (insoluble) following wounding of hind leg muscle. DTPA (diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid) treatment (30 μmol/kg) was immediate or delayed, systemic or local and combined or not with wound resection. Actinide urinary and tissue levels were measured.

Results: Comparison of Pu nitrate and MOX dissemination at the wound site indicated a more heterogeneous localization of MOX particles. In all cases DTPA treatment reduced target tissue (bone, liver) activity levels even if DTPA treatment was started 7 days after contamination. Surgery alone increased urinary excretion suggesting release from the wound site but no subsequent increases in organ retention (bone, liver) were observed. The combination of surgery and DTPA increased Pu excretion and reduced tissue levels markedly.

Conclusion: This rodent model of actinide wound contamination has been used to test different treatments. It provides evidence of activity release as a result of surgery that seems not to lead to increased organ retention.

Keywords::

• MOX
• plutonium
• americium
• wound contamination
• DTPA

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank AREVA NC for financial support, Jean Piechowski for many fruitful discussions, Christophe Joubert, veterinarian, for assistance with small animal surgery and Luc Doublet for Radioprotection advice. Part of this work was presented at the ConRad meeting (Munich, May 2013).

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.