著者

Suk Chul SHIN Yu Mi KANG Young Woo JIN Hee Sun KIM

出版者

Journal of Radiation Research 編集委員会

雑誌

Journal of Radiation Research (ISSN:04493060)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.50, no.3, pp.261-266, 2009 (Released:2009-06-16)

参考文献数

34

被引用文献数

18

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This study evaluated the effects of low dose radiation on spermatogenic cells using the morphological characteristics of sperm in the caudal epididymis of ICR mice. In this study, six abnormal sperm shapes (amorphous heads, blunt hooks, excessive hooks, two heads and tails, folded tails and short tails) were observed at eight days after γ-irradiation (137Cs, 0, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2 or 4 Gy) with both a high-dose-rate (0.8 Gy/min) and a low-dose-rate (0.7 mGy/hr). Fewer abnormal forms of sperm were observed in low-dose-rate irradiated mice than in mice that received a high-dose-rate irradiation (P = 0.002). The ratio of the dose rate effect among low-dose-rate irradiated mice to high-dose-rate irradiated mice was approximately 0.6. In addition, sperm with blunt hooks and two heads and tails significantly increased in number after irradiation, potentially providing an endpoint marker for estimating the effects of radiation. This study suggests that low-dose-rate (0.7 mGy/hr) radiation does not damage stem spermatogonia and probably stimulates repair in damaged spermatogonial stem cells in male mice.