The use of small laboratory animals in medical radiation biology.IV. Correlation of physical factors with the biological effect produced by total-body irradiation of guinea pigs

HE: importance of ionizing radiation as a T nieans of destroying, as well a s inducing, malignant neoplasms is well recognized.T h e mechanisms, however, by which these effects are brought about are still subject to investigation.Utilization of a variety of small laboratoty animals is neccssary and desirable in rescarch efforts along these lines because species specificity aBects both endeavors equally.T h e effects of total-body irradiation represent one of the important base-line data i n such investigations.IYith respect to mice, the anirnal species most frequently used in these studies, correlation of physical exposure factors with mortality rates'.21 and satislactory reproducibility of the lethal effect5 was established in previous investigations.Next to mice, guinea pigs m a y be used advantageously.This animal species a p p r s of interest for a number of reasons.First, their larger size (about twenty tinies that ot' niicc) lacilitatcs studies concerned with the influence of the 11ody volume on the lethal ellect.Set.-