Morphologic and morphometric analysis of the early effects of x-ray and heavy-ion irradiation of hamster lung.

Morphometric methods were to used to compare the early effects of graded single doses of x-rays with accelerated heavy particle (helium or neon) irradiation of hamster lung. Increased values in the volume densities of both capillary lumina and inflammatory cells at 2 weeks postirradiation were observed. Neon-ion irradiation wes statisically different from x-irradiation at all dose levels, while helium-ion irradiation showed significant increases only at higher doses (1000 to 1500 rads). At 1 month post-irradiation, the volume densities of capillary lumina after heavy particle irradiation began to return to control values, while those in x=irradiated lungs continued to be elevated. The volume density of inflammatory cells remained increased for all types of irradiation, and the highest values were obtained in neon-ion irradiated lungs. Accelerated heavy particle irradiation would therefore appear to elicit a more intense early radiation than does x-irradiation but the chronic significance of these findings is not yet known.