Increased Embryo Production Following Low Doses of Radiation to Trout Spermatozoa

An observed "beneficial" effect from low doses of radiation is described. When mature sperm of rainbow trout were exposed to 25 and 50 rad, the ratios of eggs with embryos to eggs without embryos were significantly increased by approximately 35 and 40%, respectively, as compared with the control. With the higher dose of 400 rad to the sperm the effect was unconditionally "harmful" and the yield of embryos was greatly reduced. It is suggested that the beneficial effect may be due to changes in the protein of the sperm and the harmful effect to changes in the DNA.