Effects of radioactive caesium on bull testes after the Fukushima nuclear plant accident

• Published in: Scientific reports 2013-10, Vol.3 (1), p.2850, Article 2850
• Main Authors: Yamashiro, Hideaki, Abe, Yasuyuki, Fukuda, Tomokazu, Kino, Yasushi, Kawaguchi, Isao, Kuwahara, Yoshikazu, Fukumoto, Motoi, Takahashi, Shintaro, Suzuki, Masatoshi, Kobayashi, Jin, Uematsu, Emi, Tong, Bin, Yamada, Takahisa, Yoshida, Satoshi, Sato, Eimei, Shinoda, Hisashi, Sekine, Tsutomu, Isogai, Emiko, Fukumoto, Manabu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 692/1807/2782; 692/308/1426; 692/499; 692/698; Animals; Cattle; Cesium Radioisotopes - adverse effects; Cesium Radioisotopes - blood; Cesium Radioisotopes - metabolism; Chronic exposure; Electron probe; Fukushima Nuclear Accident; Humanities and Social Sciences; Ionizing radiation; Male; multidisciplinary; Nuclear accidents & safety; Radiation Dosage; Radiation Monitoring; Radioactivity; Science; Spermatogenesis; Spermatogenesis - radiation effects; Spermatozoa - metabolism; Spermatozoa - pathology; Spermatozoa - radiation effects; Testes; Testis - metabolism; Testis - pathology; Testis - radiation effects; Tissue Distribution
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/srep02850

We aimed to investigate the effect of chronic radiation exposure associated with the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant accident on the testis from 2 bulls. Estimated dose of internal exposure in one bull was 0.7–1.2 mGy ( 134 Cs) and 0.4–0.6 mGy ( 137 Cs) and external exposure was 2.0 mGy ( 134 Cs) and 0.8 mGy ( 137 Cs) (196 days). Internal dose in the other was 3.2–6.1 mGy ( 134 Cs) and 1.8–3.4 mGy ( 137 Cs) and external dose was 1.3 mGy ( 134 Cs) and 0.6 mGy ( 137 Cs) (315 days). Sperm morphology and spermatogenesis were within normal ranges. 134, 137 Cs radioactivity was detected but Cs was not detectable in the testis by electron probe microanalysis. Thus, adverse radiation-induced effects were not observed in bull testes following chronic exposure to the above levels of radiation for up to 10 months. Since we could analyse a limited number of testes, further investigation on the effects of ionizing radiation on spermatogenesis should be extended to more animals.