FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE RADIATION RESPONSE

Technical Report · Mon Nov 21 04:00:00 EST 1960

OSTI ID:4080198

The effects of radiation in animals are dependent on many factors such as the nature of radiation, its dose and intensity, and the physiological state of the organism. The final outcome may also be influenced by factors which are deliberately introduced into the organism to modify the response. This last group of factors is discussed in detail. The radiation response may be modified either by preventing injury to the vital parts of the organism, or by supporting the recovery of the biological system affected. Prevention can be effected by supplying the cells with chemicals which interfere with, or limit the formation of free radicals or render the vital cell constituent less susceptible to interaction with the radical; in some cases, the protective chemical might even reverse actual damage, as, for instance, in the case of oxidized thiol groups. The main pharmacological characteristic of preventive chemicals is that they must be given prior to irradiation so as to be present in situ at the time of irradiation. Factors which support the recovery of irradiated organisms are basically biological units, cells, or tissues, which are introduced after irradiation and which can replace the affected cells and tissues. The persistence time of the modifying factors in irradiated organisms may either be transient or permanent. Systematic studies on protective chemicals have been initiated as a consequence of Barron's demonstration, that sulfhydryl compounds are able to protect the enzyme systems in vitro. The first to employ a sulfhydryl compound for protection of animals was Patt, whose experiments were quickly followed by several groups of investigators. The number of compounds tested for their radiation protective effect is very large, and their nature quite varied. They are listed and brought up to date. 116 references. (auth)

• Research Organization: United Nations. Secretariat
• NSA Number: NSA-15-005864
• OSTI ID: 4080198
• Report Number(s): A/AC.82/R.110
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
CHEMICALS
ENZYMES
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
PHARMACOLOGY
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION PROTECTION
RECOVERY
THIOLS
TISSUES