Experimental studies of radiation injury of kidney by using radioisotope renography

Healthy rabbits with the body weight averaging 3.0 kg were used for the experiment. A single irradiation of /sup 60/Co gamma rays was given to the left kidney with 4 x 5 cm/sup 2/ of irradiation area in doses of l000, 2000, and 5000 R. After irradiation, radioisotope renography and histologic examinations were carried out at certain intervals. The 1000 R irradiated kidney showed a decrease in the renogram index starting three days after irradiation followed by a gradual and progressive decrease. The non-irradiated kidney also showed a very mild decrease in the renogram index starting five days later with a gradual and progressive decrease. The rate of decrease, however, was constantly less than that of the irradiated kidney and showed a tendency to elevation after 10 weeks. In the 2000 R irradiated group the renogram index of the irradiated kidney began to decrease starting three days aft er irradiation with a gradual and progressive decrease. Fourteen weeks later, the irradiated kidney showed a pattern similar to the nephrectomized pattern. In the 5000 R irradiated group one day after irradiation, the renogram index of the irradiated kidney showed a remarkable decrease. After irradiation, a transient increase in secretory ability ofmore » the irradiated kidney paralleled the increase of irradiation dose which was interpreted as the result of increased renal blood flow caused by irradiation. The hypofunction of the non-irradiated contralateral kidney may be related to the cytotoxic action of the antibody against the antigen substance formed by the irradiation-induced degenerative tissue. (auth) l5995 Adult female rats having received irradiation of the trunk only or whole-body irradiation with l90R of x rays at 10 days of age exhibited morphological and functional changes in the ovaries. At 90 days of age, the ovaries of those submitted to whole-body irradiation were markedly reduced in size, containing small anovular follicles and many nodular masses of small cells but neither healthy-appearing follicles nor corpora lutea. In trunkirradiated animals, the ovaries were likewise decreased in size but contained some follicles and a good many regressive corpora lutea besides nodular masses of small cells. Prolonged or persistent cornification of the vaginal epithelium took place in a majority of the whole- body-irradiated rats, while about half the number of those given trunk- irradiation had almost regular estrous cycles. If x rays were applied to the head only, the ovaries were not much deviated in structure from those of the non- irradiated controls. Thus, the irradiation of the head exerted perceptible effects on the ovary only when the trunk was also exposed to x rays. (auth)« less