NEW HEMATOLOGIC FINDINGS IN RATS AFTER WHOLE-BODY IRRADIATION

Bone marrow of rats taken after x irradiation showed, in vitro, a decreased P/sup 32/ incorporation compared to normal bone marrow. The extent of inhibition depends upon the radiation dose and the time of taking the marrow after the irradiation. If the bone marrow is taken 1 to 2 hr after irradiation with 800 r, the incorporation rate is decreased by 40 to 50%; marrow taken 5 to 6 hr after irradiation has a normal phosphate incorporation; 1 to 4 days after the irradiation the incorporation rate is increased. One hour after irradiation with 800 r a factor that increases in vitro the paz uptake into the normal bone marrow can be found in the plasma of rats. Two hours after irradiation the leukocyte counts in the blood decrease and reach minimum values after 24 hr. Immediately after irradiation, a fraction of rapidly moving leukocytes appears in the hemocytopherogram. These are probably membrane immature granulocres. After a few hours these electrophoretically rapidly moving cells disappear and normal granulocytes appear again. The ratio of rapidly moving leukocytes to granulocres depends on the radiation dose and the time of investigation after irradiation. (auth)