X-ray-induced chromosome aberrations in mouse dictyate oocytes. II. Fractionation and dose rate effects.

Slit-dose experiments were done on maturing dictyate oocytes to determine if the magnitude of the first dose influenced the "rejoining time" of radiation-induced chromosomal lesions. A total dose of 400r was split into various combinations with varying fractionation intervals. The data derived from analyzing interchanges indicate that there is no difference in the rejoining time whether the first dose was 100, 200, or 300r. It thus appears that the radiation dose in the ranges studied does not significantly alter the rate of repair of the chromosomal lesions. This conclusion is contrary to that which has been propounded to explain the nonlinear dose curves obtained for specific locus mutations. Chronic 60Co gamma-ray exposures were given to female mice over an 8-day period. The exposures were delivered during the period of peak sensitivity, i.e., 8-16 days prior to ovulation. The doses given were 117, 240, 348, and 483r. The aberration yields observed were dramatically lower than for comparable doses of acute X rays even when the RBE of gamma rays compared with X rays is taken into account. The large drop in yields at the low dose rates is interpreted as resulting from a large two-track component in the acute curve, and as being independent of effects on repair systems.