Some Observations on Effect of Gamma Radiation on the Biochemistry of the Rat Thymus.

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Abstract
Negligible changes were observed in the activities of succinic dehydrogenase, malic dehydrogenase, cytochrome oxidase, and adenosine triphosphatase in a thymus homogenate prepared from a rat exposed to 800 r of gamma radiation; however, pronounced diminution both in concentration and in P32 incorporation of thymus DNA, and to a lesser extent RNA, were evident 3 hours after exposure of the rat, and became progressively greater during a 96-hour post-irradiation interval. The capacity of a thymus homogenate to esterify inorganic phosphate was appreciably diminished in the irradiated rat. It is suggested that the diminished respiration observed in slices of thymus from irradiated rats is not a primary radiation effect, since comparable changes do not occur in the activity of individual respiratory enzymes studied here.