Distribution of uranium in rats inhaling DU aerosol and/or implanted with depleted uranium fragments

    LI Rong, AI Guoª²Ping£¬ XU Hui£¬ REN Jiong£¬ LOU Shuª²Fen£¬ CHENG Tianª²Min£¬ SU Yongª²Ping, ZHEN Huaiª²En, JIANG Jianª²Xin, HUANG Yueª²Sheng

    PLA Institute of Combined Injuries, Third Military Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn & Combined Iujury, Chongqing 400038, China

    ¡¾Abstract¡¿ AIM: To investigate the dynamic changes and distribution of uranium in rats inhaling depleted uranium (DU) aerosol and /or implanted with depleted uranium. METHODS: Rats inhaled DU aerosol and/or surgically received sterilized DU implantation in muscle under general anesthesia. At 1, 3, 7, 15, 20 and 26 days after treatment, tissue samples were collected. Uranium levels were measured by laser phosphorescence analyzer. RESULTS: In the DU inhaling rats, the organs with high uranium concentrations were the lungs, ovaries and kidneys, and in rats implanted with shrapnel, high concentrations of DU were found in kidneys, ovaries and sternum. In the rats inhaling DU and implanted with DU fragments, the high concentration of DU was found in the kidneys, lungs, ovaries and also sternum. CONCLUSION: The primary reservoirs for inhaled uranium are the lungs, ovaries and kidneys and those for the intramusclarly embedded DU fragments are the kidneys, ovaries and sternum. The combination of inhalation and implantation will result in accumulated effects. ......