224 Ra and 226Ra experimentally induced dental changes in rats.

Sprague-Dawley rats received intragastrically a single dose of 226Ra or 224Ra once weekly for 21 weeks. During this period the animals of both groups were thus exposed to comparable doses. After 12 weeks, a shortening of the maxillary incisors was observed, and this progressed during the course of the 55-week experiment. Radiologically, a loss of pulpal transparency and an apical irregular opacity in the maxillary incisors were demonstrable. Histologically, dysplastic changes of the maxillary incisors and multiple resorptions at the cemento-enamel junction of the molars were seen. The observed alterations were more pronounced in the 226Ra group than in the 224Ra treated group. The experimentally induced resorptions were comparable to those observed in patients who had incorporated 224Ra or 226Ra. Clinical, radiological, histological, gamma-spectrometrical, and autoradiographical findings, as well as dose-estimations, are described.