Repair of potentially lethal radiation damage in mouse embryo

Abstract The ability of mouse embryo cells to repair potentially lethal damage was studied. Female mice of the 15th gestation day were irradiated with X-rays or neutrons ( 30 MeV deuteron → berylium) and embryos were removed at various times thereafter. Surviving fractions of embryo cells determined by colony formation method in vitro . Survivals increased rapidly if embryos were left in utero for more than 2 hr after X-irradiation and reached a plateau at 4 hr , indicating that embryo cells can repair potentially lethal damage. The magnitude of this kind of repair was found dose-dependent.