To characterize certain metabolic alterations in the liver and kidney due to x-irradia-.tion, phosphate distribution, glycogen, sulfhydryl, sodium, potassium, and water content as well as cytochrome oxidase activity of these organs were studied in rats subjected to lethal total body x-irradiation.Inasmuch as the content of some of these constituents is known to be influenced by the secretion of the adrenals, some of these studies were done on adrenalectomized animals. Since decreased food intake is part of the post-irradiation syndrome, the effect of fasting alone on the above tissue constituents was also studied.Materials and methods. Male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 235-280 g and fed Purina chow diet, were used throughout. The adrenalectomized rats were maintained on 0.95% NaCl drinking solution and used about 10 days after operation. Radiation dosage was 1000 r in the experiments on phosphate distribution in the liver and kidney, and on cytochrome oxidase activity in the liver; 880 r in the other experiments. Radiation factors were: 21010 kv, 6 ma, 5 mm Cu 1 mm A1 filter, target distance approximately 29 cm and 40 r/min dosage rate measured in air.* The majority of deaths occurred within 6 to 14 days after irradiation with 880 r and 4 to 6 days after irradiation with 1OOOr. A. Phos-phate Distribution. Phosphate determinations on the tissue were made according to the method of Umbreit ( 1) except that the animals were killed by decapitation and the tissues were quickly removed, frozen in a dry iceacetone bath, and lyophilized. Trichloroacetic acid extracts of the tissues were prepared and the barium-insoluble fraction was analyzed for inorganic phosphorus and easily hydrolyzable phosphorus( 15 min., 1m0 C, 0.2 N HCI). All results are reported as mg P/100 g dry tissue. The irradiated animals, which had access to food and water, were sacrificed 1 to 6 days after irradiation. Food; but not water, was withheld overnight: prior to sacrifice. B. Liver Glycogen and Blood Glucose. Food was withheld for periods indicated in Table 11, while water or 0.957~ NaCl solution (adrenalectomized animals) was allowed ad libitum. The animals were sacrificed by decapitation, and samples weighing approximately 1 gram were removed from the median lobe of the liver and immediately immersed in cold ( 3 O to 5OC) saline. The samples were then cut into 6 nearly equal parts under cold saline, blotted on filter *The authors wish to express their appreciation to the Radiobiology Dapartment of this Laboratory for advice and assistance in the irradiation procedure.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract