Iron 59 incorporation into erythrocytes of hamsters after irradiation

¹ Department of Medicine, University of Arkansas Medical Center; and Radioisotope Service, Consolidated Veterans Administration Hospital, Little Rock, Arkansas

The effect of 800 r of whole-body Co⁶⁰-- and X-irradiation on the incorporation of citrate-Fe⁵⁹ into erythrocytes of male hamsters was investigated. Iron 59 was given intraperitoneally immediately postirradition, and serial blood samples were obtained. The nonirradiated control animals showed a progressive increase in the Fe⁵⁹ activity of the erythrocytes, reaching a maximum in 4–5 days. After a 5-day plateau, the activity gradually decreased. The Fe⁵⁹ activity of the irradiated animals decreased, initially, then increased gradually. After 7 days the incorporation rate of Fe⁵⁹ was 27% by the X-irradiated and 22% by the Co⁶⁰--irradiated animals, using the controls as 100% values. Ten days later the incorporation rate was 40% by the X-irradiated animals. None of the Co⁶⁰--irradiated animals survived 10 days, but all of the X-irradiated animals survived. In the X-irradiated animals, the leukocyte counts rose, initially, then decreased and returned, gradually, to preirradiation levels after 30 days. The specific Fe⁵⁹ activity of different organs of irradiated and control hamsters is reported.