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Tolerance of the Normal Canine Brain to Epithermal Neutron Irradiation in the Presence of p-boronophenylalanine

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Abstract

Twelve normal dogs underwent brain irradiation in a mixed-radiation, mainly epithermal neutron field at the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor following intravenous infusion of 950 mg of 10B-enriched BPA/kg as its fructose complex. The 5 × 10 cm irradiation aperture was centered over the left hemisphere. For a subgroup of dogs reported previously, we now present more detailed analyses including dose–volume relationships, longer follow-ups, MRIs, and histopathological observations. Peak doses (delivered to 1 cm3 of brain at the depth of maximum thermal neutron flux) ranged from 7.6 Gy (photon-equivalent dose: 11.8 Gy-Eq) to 11.6 Gy (17.5 Gy-Eq). The average dose to the brain ranged from 3.0 Gy (4.5 Gy-Eq) to 8.1 Gy (11.9 Gy-Eq) and to the left hemisphere, 6.6 Gy (10.1 Gy-Eq) to 10.0 Gy (15.0 Gy-Eq). Maximum tolerated ‘threshold’ doses were 6.7 Gy (9.8 Gy-Eq) to the whole brain and 8.2 Gy (12.3 Gy-Eq) to one hemisphere. The threshold peak brain dose was 9.5 Gy (14.3 Gy-Eq). At doses below threshold, some dogs developed subclinical MRI changes. Above threshold, all dogs developed dose-dependent MRI changes, neurological deficits, and focal brain necrosis.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. Jacek Capala

    Present address: Unit of Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

  2. Tariq Aziz

    Present address: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Saint John Regional Hospital, Dalhousie University, Saint John, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA

    Jeffrey A. Coderre, Jacek Capala & Ruimei Ma

  2. Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA

    Patrick R. Gavin

  3. Research Institute, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK

    Gerard M. Morris

  4. Department of Radiology, Neuropathology Division, School of Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA

    Terry M. Button

  5. Department of Pathology, Neuropathology Division, School of Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA

    Tariq Aziz & Nancy S. Peress

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  1. Jeffrey A. Coderre
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Coderre, J.A., Gavin, P.R., Capala, J. et al. Tolerance of the Normal Canine Brain to Epithermal Neutron Irradiation in the Presence of p-boronophenylalanine. J Neurooncol 48, 27–40 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006419210584

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