[Effect of age and gender on genotoxic and biochemical indexes in animal blood after low doses of radiation-mercury exposures].

The study was executed with the young (4-5 months) and elderly (15-18 months) rats of both gender at the experiment start. The mercury salt was administered into animals with drinking water in 1 mcg/l concentration during 3 months before and 1 month after single X-irradiation with 25 cGy dose. The genotoxic effects in leukocytes were evaluated on the base of the content and structure DNA alterations in 24 hrs and in 1 month after irradiation. The alaninaminotransferase activity and the urea content in serum were determined to evaluate functional status of liver and kidney, respectively. The irradiation of rats receiving mercury with drinking water resulted in increase of the leukocyte DNA content in young male and decrease of the leukocyte quantity in young female at the early terms. At the same time the decrease of monocyte content and the alterations of the blood leukocyte DNA structure were observed in the elderly female. One month after combined exposures the whole leukocyte amount in young females was increased to the intact control level and the leukocytosis was observed in elderly females accompanied by significant condensation of the leukocyte DNA structure. At the same time granulocyte quantity was observed in young males in compare with the intact rats, and the tendency of the increased genotoxicity was lasted out. After combined exposures the functional liver alterations were observed in the highest degree among young male rats (+62%), in approximately identical degree among young and elderly females (+38% and +27%), and practically were absent among elderly males. The absence of the urea concentration increase in the serum of the all experimental group animals in comparison with the intact control rats evidenced, that lesion of kidneys did not take place. So, in despite of the fact that young females revealed sensitivity to the radiation-mercury environment exposure with the low doses in the early term, then they demonstrated the better restoration in compare with the young males and the elderly females. The elderly males were found the least sensitive to the radiation-mercury exposure with low doses among the studied animal groups.