The objective of this study is to determine changes in the clinical condition of animals, hematological parameters, and phagocytic activity of peripheral blood cells upon exposure to subclinical doses of tritium in rabbits. The characteristics of tritium, sources of man-made tritium, and the effects of tritium on animals are described. According to published data, low-dose ionizing radiation has a positive effect on the immune system and lifespan of rabbits, accelerates growth and the onset of physiological maturity, and improves the health of offspring. The study was conducted at the Department of Internal Non-Communicable Diseases, Obstetrics, and Physiology of Farm Animals and the Animal Farm of the Institute of Applied Biotechnology and Veterinary Medicine on Californian rabbits. The animals absorbed tritium doses ranging from 0.98 to 356 mGy. The rabbits were subjected to a clinical examination, blood samples were taken, followed by determination of hematological parameters, determination of the leukocyte profile and phagocytic activity of peripheral blood cells. The study identified a dose range of 31.9–92.6 mGy for tritium exposure, with the greatest radiobiological effect observed. Exposure to low doses of tritium altered the clinical parameters of rabbits, including increased respiratory rate and heart rate. Exposure to low doses of radiation caused erythrocytosis and lymphocytosis, indicating activation of hematopoiesis in the rabbits. In the peripheral blood of rabbits exposed to tritium at doses up to 355 mGy, juvenile neutrophils were detected, the number of segmented neutrophils went down, and the phagocytic index decreased, all of which are negative factors associated with tritium exposure.
Fedotova et al. (Fri,) studied this question.