This article summarizes the basic facts about the measurement of ionizing radiation, usually referred to as radiation dosimetry. The article defines the common radiation quantities and units; gives typical levels of natural radiation and medical exposures; and describes the most important biological effects of radiation and the methods used to measure radiation. Finally, a proposal is made for a new radiation risk unit to make radiation risks more understandable to nonspecialists. (+info)
Suppression of developmental anomalies by maternal macrophages in mice.
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We tested whether nonspecific tumoricidal immune cells can suppress congenital malformations by killing precursor cells destined to cause such defects. Pretreatment of pregnant ICR mice with synthetic (Pyran copolymer) and biological (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin) agents significantly suppressed radiation- and chemical-induced congenital malformations (cleft palate, digit anomalies, tail anomalies, etc.). Such suppressive effects were associated with the activation of maternal macrophages by these agents, but were lost either after the disruption of activated macrophages by supersonic waves or by inhibition of their lysosomal enzyme activity with trypan blue. These results indicate that a live activated macrophage with active lysosomal enzymes can be an effector cell to suppress maldevelopment. A similar reduction by activated macrophages was observed in strain CL/Fr, which has a high spontaneous frequency of cleft lips and palates. Furthermore, Pyran-activated maternal macrophages could pass through the placenta, and enhanced urethane-induced cell killing (but not somatic mutation) in the embryo. It is likely that a maternal immunosurveillance system eliminating preteratogenic cells allows for the replacement with normal totipotent blast cells during the pregnancy to protect abnormal development. (+info)
Effects of parental occupational exposures on spontaneous abortion and congenital malformation.
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Human reproduction is a complex process and can be disturbed in many phases by both host and environmental factors. Therefore, it has been difficult to distinguish the occupational causes of spontaneous abortion and congenital malformations from other factors related to the parents' characteristics and their living environment. The extrapolation of results of animal studies to humans is often complicated because there are structural and functional differences between the species and the mechanisms of harmful effects are seldom known. There is also a lack of conclusive epidemiologic studies on the topic. At present knowledge on the potential reproductive toxicity of even rather common occupational exposures is limited and in many cases only suggestive. Paternal exposure to organic solvents before conception and maternal exposure during pregnancy may have adverse effects on the pregnancy and offspring. Heavy physical work during pregnancy may increase the risk of spontaneous abortion. (+info)
Molecular and genetic characterization of a radiation-induced structural rearrangement in mouse chromosome 2 causing mutations at the limb deformity and agouti loci.
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Molecular characterization of mutations in the mouse, particularly those involving agent-induced major structural alterations, is proving to be useful for correlating the structure and expression of individual genes with their function in the whole organism. Here we present the characterization of a radiation-induced mutation that simultaneously generated distinct alleles of both the limb deformity (ld) and agouti (a) loci, two developmentally important regions of chromosome 2 normally separated by 20 centimorgans. Cytogenetic analysis revealed that an interstitial segment of chromosome 17 (17B- 17C; or, possibly, 17A2-17B) had been translocated into the distal end of chromosome 2, resulting in a smaller-than-normal chromosome 17 (designated 17del) and a larger form of chromosome 2 (designated 2(17). Additionally, a large interstitial segment of the 2(17) chromosome, immediately adjacent and proximal to the insertion site, did not match bands 2E4-2H1 at corresponding positions on a normal chromosome 2. Molecular analysis detected a DNA rearrangement in which a portion of the ld locus was joined to sequences normally tightly linked to the a locus. This result, along with the genetic and cytogenetic data, suggests that the alleles of ld and a in this radiation-induced mutation, designated ldIn2 and ajIn2, were associated with DNA breaks caused by an inversion of an interstitial segment in the 2(17) chromosome. (+info)
The effect of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields on pregnancy and fetal growth, and development.
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