The microdistribution and retention of injected 239Pu on trabecular bone surfaces of the beagle: implications for the induction of osteosarcoma.

A study was initiated to investigate the relationship between skeletal remodeling and the microdistribution and retention of 239Pu on trabecular bone surfaces of the beagle, and the contribution of these parameters to the nonuniform skeletal distribution of 239Pu-induced osteosarcomas. Young adult beagles were administered single iv injections of ~0.016 μCi/kg monomeric 239Pu citrate and sacrificed at various times to 1 year after injection. The 239Pu concentration on trabecular bone surfaces was determined by counting fission fragment tracks in neutron-induced autoradiographs produced from thick (?400 ?m) bone sections. The rate of trabecular bone formation was calculated from an ultraviolet microscopic analysis of fluorescent tetracycline labels. The lumbar vertebra, pelvis, and proximal humerus, each of which exhibits a high incidence of 239Pu-induced} osteosarcoma, were found to have a high initial concentration of 239Pu on their trabecular surfaces (~7-8 pCi/cm2) and a relatively high rate of trabecu...