[The assessment of biocenosis contamination in the region of radioactive waste storage (RWS) placing and influence of this storage on rodents].

The results of radiative and of chemical monitoring show definite contamination of this zone by 90Sr and toxic metals. The essential local contaminations of geosystems (up to 2.3 x 10(4) Bk/kg of soil) require in environmental condition assessment at biocenosis level.

[Metallothionein content in tissue and neoplasms of mice under cadmium chloride administration and gamma irradiation. Increased radioresistance in mice with elevated level of metallothionein].

It was confirmed that the survival of gamma-exposed mice became higher after preliminarily subcutaneous injections of cadmium chloride. It is supposed that radioresistance of mice is connected with the induction of metallothionein proteins by cadmium chloride.

[Increase in the level of metallothioneins in mouse liver after administration of cadmium chloride does not protect from combined radiation-thermal injury].

Effects of MT preinduction by cadmium chloride on the resistance to combined injury such as whole body gamma-irradiation at the dose of 7 Gy + thermal burn were investigated in (CBA x C57BL6)F1 mice. Normal level of MT markedly increased in mice liver but not in bone marrow cells if Cd was given subcutaneously (1 mg/kg) prior to combined injury. However, preinduction of MT did not reduce the lethal effects and bone marrow devastation caused by combined radiation injury.

[The survival of mice and the metallothionein content of their livers and kidneys as criteria for assessing exposure to pulsed neutron radiation].

The effect of pulsed neutron radiation was studied in comparison with continuous neutron radiation and continuous gamma-radiation. Animal survival and induction of metallothionein (MT) synthesis in liver and kidney of mice exposed to equivalent doses were chosen as criteria for evaluation of radiation effects. It was found that the level of MT in liver and kidney of mice exposed to neutron radiation decreased 24 hours after irradiation and then continued decreasing in kidney for 48 hours after irradiation.

Involvement of metallothioneins in regulation of macrophage activity after combined radiation and thermal injury.

The levels of reduced metallothioneins (MT) in peritoneal macrophages and liver of mice subjected to combined radiation and chemical injury displayed opposite changes: the macrophage level of MT decreased and the liver MT increased. Simultaneously, there was an increase in luminol- and lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence of phagocytizing macrophages. Stimulation with CdCl2, a MT inducer, for three days before the injury increased the levels of MT in macrophages but decreased its liver levels.