Repression and Enhancement of Irradiation Effects on Grasshopper Cells by Metabolic Poisons and Oxygen

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Abstract
Diapause embryos of the grasshopper Melanoplus differentialis, when irradiated at 25,000 r in air, undergo negative growth. Conditions were altered by the presence of various metabolic poisons and O2, either before and during, or after-radiation to study modifications of irradiation effects. The degree of negative growth was less if cyanide was given after irradiation. There was also protection when eggs were irradiated under 4 atmospheres of O2 and then transferred to N2CO2, and particularly so when irradiated in air and then put in N2CO2. Protection was evident when eggs were irradiated in COO2 (80%:20%) in the dark (but not in the light or when added after) and when irradiated in air followed by CO (100%), and increased when irradiated in CO in the dark. Ovarian eggs that have high tetrazolium-reducing capacity are more resistant. It is suggested that there may be a relationship between the resistance of tissue to irradiation and its dehydrogenase content. There is a strong indication that radio-protective substances depend on the H and electron transfer of tissues and cells. A statistical analysis of the methods is presented.