The number of clonogenic cells in a mouse jejunal crypt.

The near linearity of cellular dose-survival curves for neutrons facilities back-extrapolation to their origin at zero dose. This zero dose intercept is the number of clonogenic cells per circumference, from which the average number of clonogenic cells per crypt can be calculated. The average estimate of clonogenic cell number per crypt (k) from back-extrapolation of 11 single dose neutron survival curves to a common intercept was 100. Multifraction experiments provide an even better estimate of k because more complete dose survival curves can be constructed on the assumption of an equal effect per equal dose fraction. The short back-extrapolation of five such curves to a common intercept yields an estimated k value of 123 (108-140, 95% confidence interval) cells per crypt. These k values were higher than those estimated by Hendry's two-dose gamma-ray method.