
INDUCTION OF MUTAGENIC EFFECT IN SOMATIC AND GERM CELLS BY ENRICHED URANIUM
Enriched uranium(UO2F2) accumulated in organism could cause chromosome aberrations in somatic cells, its rates on bone marrow cells were elevated when the dose of 235UO2F2 was increased. Among the types of induced aberrations, chromatid breakage was predominant, accompanied with a few chromosome breakage and translocation. At the same time mitosis index of metaphase cells was depressed. Chromatid delation and chromatid exchange were induced in peripheral blood lymphocytes. The important type of aberrations in spermatogonia was break. For primary spermatocytes the most significant aberration was multivalents which resulted either from chromatid interchanges or reciprocal translocations. 235UO2F2 could result in DNA breakage in germ cells. The sensitivity of germ cells at various stages to 235UO2F2. was different. At 12 d after exposure the amount of sperm DNA eluted reached the peak. When the treating time was fixed, elution of sperm DNA from treated animals increased with the increasing doses. 235UO2F2 could also result in sperm abnormalities. Especially at 13 to 36 d after treatment the rates of sperm abnormalities were significantly elevated.