A method of monitoring biological effect of radiation exposure by excretion of endogenous carbon monoxide in expired gas

The purpose of this study was a development of a technique of noninvasive estimation of a biological effect of radiation exposure in monkeys by virtue of a laser measurement of endogenous CO content in exhaled air and technique´s testing in the experiment with acute radiation exposure. A control and a test groups consisted of two rhesus monkeys each. The test group was exposed to 6 hours radiation exposure with 1.2 Gy dose produced by gamma-rays. We measured the changes of endogenous CO excretion in animals located in the opened system of the box by virtue of the developed laser based CO-meter. We found that CO excretion increased on the 3^rd day after radiation exposure. Consumption of oxygen and excretion of carbon dioxide did not change after the exposure.