Quantitative changes in rat liver mitochondria following whole body irradiation

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1959 · Experimental Cell Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0014-4827(59)90191-0· OSTI ID:4277394

NOYES, P.

Mitochondria were isolated from liver homogenates of rats taken at various times after receiving a lethal dose (1000 r) of gamma -irradiation. Quantitative assays were made of mass and nitrogen content per mitochondrion and total mass and number of mitochondria per gram of dry liver. A significant depression in total mitochondrial count per liver and in count per gram was observed very early (by 15 minutes) following irradiation. This returned toward a normal level by 6 hours and was es sentially within the normal range through 40 or more hours post-irradiation. Concurrent with the early reduction in count was a remarkable increase in unit mitochondrial mass and nitrogen content. The values of these parameters also recovered rapidly to normal. Although the total nitrogen per liver remained essentially unchanged hetween the controls and all post-irradiation points examined, there was observed a shift from the mitochondrial to the microsomal-soluble fraction at thc early points after exposure. These data appear in concert with the conclusion that the immediate result of the ionizing radiation entails a preferential fragmentation of the smaller mitochondria which may be accompanied by some measure of ingestion or adsorption of the fragments by the surviving mitochondrial residuum. From the results of this study and those reported by others it appears that although the mitochondria are transiently damaged by irradiation in vivo, they are soon reconstituted to reach pre-irradiation levels and by a time prior to the recovery of nuclear activities.

• Research Organization: Univ. of California, Los Angeles
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-13-007395
• OSTI ID: 4277394
• Journal Information: Experimental Cell Research, Journal Name: Experimental Cell Research Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 16; ISSN 0014-4827
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BIOCHEMISTRY
BODY
CYTOLOGY
GAMMA RADIATION
LETHAL DOSE
LIVER
METABOLISM
MITOCHONDRIA
NITROGEN
QUANTITY RATIO
RADIATION INJURIES
RATS
RECOVERY
TISSUE EXTRACTS
TISSUES