Residual radiation damage in murine lung assessed by pneumonitis.

The amount of radiation damage remaining in mouse lung has been assessed by retreatment from 1 to 6 months after a range of first doses. Pneumonitis at 196 days after retreatment was used as the endpoint. Lungs were first irradiated with a range of single doses (6-10 Gy). Ten Gy was the highest dose that, on its own, produced no changes in breathing rate or deaths due to pneumonitis. One to 6 months later lungs were retreated with a full range of single doses. Isoeffect doses were calculated for lethality for all retreatment times after each priming dose. The amount of residual damage remaining in the lung has been calculated as both a proportion of first doses and as the effect equivalent of remembered dose. Following a 10 Gy first dose, there was evidence of remembered irradiation injury at all retreatment intervals. After a 6 Gy priming dose, the lungs could be retreated to tolerance. The amount of residual damage was proportional to the size of first dose and was highest at 1 month (27% after 6 Gy and 70% after 10 Gy) and lowest after 3 months (0% after 6 Gy and 46% after 10 Gy). This partial recovery of lung function between 1 and 3 months was followed by an increase in amount of damage "remembered"; that is, a reduction in the retreatment dose that could be delivered. The proportion of residual damage after 10 Gy was never less than 25%. The data suggest an early target cell depletion and regeneration in the lung (within 3 months), the extent of which is dependent on the size of initial injury.