Radiation Effects on Membranes: I. Vitamin E Deficiency and Lipid Peroxidation

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Abstract
Mice receiving vitamin E-deficient diets from weaning were more sensitive to X irradiation than normal mice, LD50/30 decreased by 0.25 Gy. The vitamin E-deficient mice also showed an increased spleen shrinkage. The cellular membranes of the vitamin E-deficient mice were more vulnerable to lipid peroxidation. X irradiation in vivo shortened the lag period prior to rapid lipid peroxidation as measured in vitro. Injection of the mice with glutathione prior to X irradiation protected the membranes in the in vitro test of peroxidation capacity as was demonstrated by an extended lag period. The possibility that membranes are important sites for radiation damage is discussed.