Abstract
Effects of heavy ions on the proliferation and differentiation of embryonic mouse cells were investigated in this study. We selected melanocytes for this purpose, since melanin synthesized in melanocytes is easily observable in vivo. Pregnant females of mice crossed with males were whole body irradiated with a single acute dose of carbon ion to investigate its effects on embryonic melanoblasts. The effect was studied by scoring changes in the cutaneous coats of F1 offspring three weeks after birth. White spots were found in the ventrum and tail tips of the offspring. The frequency of white ventral spots as well as white areas of tail spots were increased in a dose-dependent manner. In white areas of ventrum and tail-tips no melanoblasts and melanocytes were observed. These results suggest that carbon ion affects the proliferation and differentiation of melanocytes in the mouse skin. [J Radiat Res 44:402 (2003)]
