STUDIES OF THE EFFECTS OF FLAVONOIDS ON ROENTGEN IRRADIATION DISEASE. II. COMPARISON OF THE PROTECTIVE INFLUENCE OF SOME FLAVONOIDS AND VITAMIN C IN DOGS 1

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Abstract
Exposed to 350 r single-dose, total-body X-irradiation, 60% (22 of 37) untreated control dogs succumbed with a prominent hemorrhagic syndrome. Five flava-none substances appeared roughly of equal activity in reducing the hemorrhagic signs of the irradiation disease when adminis-tered continuously pre- and post-radiation. When rutin was fed, 11% (3 of 27) of the aogs succumbed; with hesperidin, 16% (1 of G); with epimerized d-catechin, 10% (1 of 10); with homoerio-dictyol none of 5; and with morin, none of 6 irradiated dogs succumbed. Other flavonoids and their derivatives did not signif-icantly reduce either the mortality or hemorrhagic changes in irradiated dogs. These included hespiridin methyl chalcone, esculin, quercitin, quercitrin and maringin. With the benzopyrone, coumarin, 33% (2 of 6) of the dogs succumbed, suggesting slight anti-irradiation activity. Ascorbic acid alone failed to influence the course of irradiation disease and 50% (6 to 12) of treated dogs died. However, when ascorbic acid was given simultaneous-ly with quercitin, which by itself was ineffective (50% mortality), only 10% (1 of 10) dogs succumbed, exhibiting reduced signs of the disease. No increase in protective activity occurred when ascorbic acid and hesperidin methyl chalcone were given together. It is suggested that previous misunderstanding of the nature of " vitamin P" has arisen from both the failure to recognize that several flavonone anologs possess very simitar anti-hemorrhagic "activity" and that ascorbic acid has the capacity to potentiate "activity" in other flavonones. Potent hyaluronidase inhibitors as dopa and Na gentisate failed to influence the course of irradia-tion disease in dogs. It is suggested that the "spreading factor," hyaluronidase, plays little or no role in the evolution of this disorder.