Effect of Homologous Bone Marrow-Spleen Cell Suspension on Survival of Swine Exposed to Radiation from a Nuclear Weapon

1. Swine exposed to mixed gamma and neutron irradiation from a nuclear weapon were treated by intravenous, intracardiac or intraperitoneal injection of homologous marrow-spleen cell suspensions.

2. This therapy did not affect survival of animals receiving sublethal, intermediate or supralethal doses of irradiation. No evidence of accelerated repopulation of hematopoietic or lymphatic tissues was found in the treated animals that died, compared with untreated animals dying at the same time. Possible reasons for failure to demonstrate a beneficial effect on survival are discussed.

3. A new, simple method for obtaining large numbers of marrow cells from the vertebral column of large mammals is described.