[The reaction of free cellular elements of the lungs to gamma exposure].

A quantitative composition of free cell elements and morphology and mitotic activity of macrophages were studied after gamma irradiation with doses of 25.8, 77.4, and 180.6 mC/kg. Morphological changes in the lungs and a deviation from the control values of an overall content of cell elements in washings were found to be a function of radiation dose. The discrepancy between the results obtained by other authors are attributed to a limited elimination of macrophages due to pulmonary edema and restoration of the number of macrophages due to a relatively moderate mitotic activity of these cells.