RADIOBIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF HIGH ALTITUDE FLIGHT: RELATIVE BIOLOGICAL EFFECTIVENESS OF FAST NEUTRONS IN SUPPRESSING IMMUNE CAPACITY TO AN INFECTIVE AGENT

The authors investigated the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of fast neutrons compared with X-rays in impeding development of immunity to an infective agent, the intestinal cestode Hymenolepis nana. Mice were irradiated with neutrons or X-rays and 2 days later given an immunizing dose of H. nana eggs. After another 2 days, the mice received a challenge dose of the eggs. Challenge egg doses were also given to sham-irradiated unimmunized and immunized controls. All mice were killed 90 to 92 hours after challenge, and the H. nana larvae (cysticercoids) that developed in the intestinal tissue were counted. An increased cysticercoid count in the irradiated mice, as compared with the count in unirradiated immunized controls, reflects suppression of immune capacity by the radiation. The results indicate a neutron RBE of 4 at 50 and 101 rad. (Author)

• Record URL:
  http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/1970s/media/am78-08.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Aviation Administration

  Flight Standards Service, 800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20591
• Authors:
  • Friedberg, W
  • Neas, B R
  • Faulkner, D N
  • Hanneman, G D
  • Darden, EBJ
• Publication Date: 1978-2

Media Info

• Pagination: 8 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Altitude; Biology; Electromagnetic radiation; Immunity (Law); Laboratory animals; Neutrons; Radiation doses; Sovereign immunity
• Uncontrolled Terms: High altitude
• Old TRIS Terms: Fast neutrons; Immunosuppression; Mice; Neutron irradiation; Radiobiology
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00175986
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: FAA-AM-78-8
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 19 1978 12:00AM