Effects of fractionated doses of total-body irradiation on semen of bulls

With the increasing danger of exposure to ionizing radiation through accidental exposure or a possible nuclear war, innumerable investigations have been conducted to determine the physiological and genetic implications of irradiation on future generations. Because it is impractical to experiment with humans, the majority of the information available has been obtained through experimentation utilizing laboratory animals and the resulting information related to man. The results of laboratory animal experimentation and data obtained from a limited number of accidental exposures to humans form the basis from which maximum permissible exposure levels for man have been established. Although these sources have contributed much, this information loses some of its validity when extrapolated to man. For this reason more recent investigations have used large animals that more nearly approximate the body size and physiological actions of man.

This report deals with the effects of fractionated doses of gamma radiation on sperm production in bulls and is but one phase of a study designed to determine the deleterious effects of gamma radiation on the reproductive ability of the male.