Survival Studies on X-Irradiated Mice Medicated with Spleen-Preparations

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Abstract
Eleven protein-free preparations as well as total lipids, and deoxyribo-nucleic acid (DNA) were chemically isolated from calf spleens and tested for their efficacy in reducing radiation damage. Mice of 3 strains, (DBA, C57BL6, and Swiss Albino) were irradiated with 700 r and given a specific spleen preparation within 5 to 10 minutes before or after irradiation. Survival time, body, spleen, liver and testicle weights were used as biological criteria. One spleen preparation designated 201-C seemed to have exerted some beneficial effect as indicated by the ex-tended survival time of the irradiated medicated mice. Further experi-ments are required to substantiate this observation. In contrast, the lipid-preparation exerted a significant detrimental effect on the irradiated mice (p-0.05). Whether or not a humoral factor is involved by protecting the spleen in radiation injury is discussed.