Title: Functional Studies of the Calf Adrenal Cortex Following Total-Body Exposure to a Single Lethal Dose of γ-Radiation
Abstract: The influence of a lethal dose of whole-body γ-radiation (600 r) on adrenocortical function was investigated by removing the adrenals of irradiated calves at various intervals after exposure, and perfusing the exposed and control glands with an oxygenated artificial medium containing either steroid substrates or ACTH. The functional capacity derived from the ACTH studies was evaluated in three ways: 1) maximum 2-hour corticoid output, 2) maximum output/gm adrenal tissue and 3) maximum output/kg body wt. Within 24 hours after exposure, the irradiated glands revealed increases in these indices of 64, 48 and 71%, respectively. Following this initial rise, their biosynthetic capacity declined to normal levels by about the 4th day before increasing again preterminally. However, the preterminal maximum output per gram tissue (253 µ/gm) was substantially less than the 24-hour postirradiation value (313 µ/gm). A marked terminal depletion occurred prior to death, as evidenced by the mean decrease of 49% in the maximum output per gram tissue of the exposed glands. At this time, their maximum corticoid output and output per kilogram body weight were diminished only 23 and 6%, respectively. The absence of an abnormal biogenetic pattern in response to maximal corticotrophic stimulation (ACTH studies) and of a differential depletion in any of the specific biosynthetic enzymatic systems examined (steroid substrate studies) demonstrated that adrenocortical dysgenesis did not occur despite the development of generalized sepsis, toxemia, hemorrhage, anemia and the other severe disturbances associated with radiation sickness death.
Publication Year: 1958
Publication Date: 1958-01-31
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 4
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