Cysteine Protection against X Irradiation

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Abstract
Of 126 rats injected in caudal vein with 175, 350, 575, or 875 mg. of cysteine-HCl per kg. 5 min. before exposure to 800 r delivered at 210 r/min., 92 (75%) survived for 4 weeks as compared to 18 survivors (13%) out of 134 control rats injected with an equivalent volume of 5% NaCl. Cysteine-HCl administered at pH 1 was equally effective at all dosages, while when buffered at pH 7 the greatest protection was afforded at the highest dosages. Cystine was ineffective in protecting rats from effects of X-irradiation, and cysteine administered 5 min. after irradiation gave no protection. Both control and cysteine-treated irradiated animals show the same initial decrease in body weight, but recovery is much more rapid in the cysteine treated group. Protection is possibly due to the inhibition by the administered cysteine of the oxidation of cellular constituents by irradiation.

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