Influence of ²²⁶Ra on bone marrow stem cells in mice: Effect of radium decorporation by a long-term treatment with Na-alginate on stem-cell damage

Three-mth-old male BALB/c mice were injected intraperitoneally with ²²⁶RaCl₂ at dose levels of 4.5, 6.9, 9.0, and 13.5 μCi ²²⁶Ra/kg body wt. At the two highest doses, the number of multipotential bone marrow stem cells was severely depressed 8 wk after the injection. By 30 wk no depression was observed compared to controls. The number of peripheral red blood cells was never altered, while the number of white blood cells was slightly depressed after 8 wk of contamination. Mice fed every other week with standard pellets and on alternate wk with a diet containing 6% Na-alginate (first given 12 days after the injection of ²²⁶RaCl₂) showed a significant reduction of stem-cell depression 8 and 12 wk after contamination in three of the six treatment groups with manifest radiation effects on the stem cells.