Neonatal low-dose gamma irradiation-induced impaired fertility in mature rats.

The reproductive capacity of mature rats at the age of 8 days was studied following neonatal exposure to 0.06 Gy dose of gamma-radiation. Decreased litter size and reduced body weight of the pups on weaning day, but not at parturition, were observed in female rats. The reduced litter size was not associated with impaired ovulation, impaired uterine implantation or mortality in utero, but resulted from increased death rate or at near parturition. Of the neonatally irradiated males 29% were found to be sterile and had degenerated or necrotic testes. The testicular damage and the reduced growth rate of the offspring of the irradiated females demonstrate the extreme sensitivity of the immature reproductive system to ionizing radiation, even at very low doses.