Modification of Acute Intestinal Radiation Syndrome Through Shielding

Abstract

Mortality associated with intestinal injury in rats occurring 3–5 days after 1000 r x-irradiation was significantly decreased by shielding, during exposure, a small exteriorized section of duodenum or ileum. Protection was not obtained by shielding either the distal half of the cecum or the whole stomach. Beginning recovery of radiation-induced small intestine weight loss was observed 4 days after 1000 r in rats irradiated with a section of ileum shielded, whereas no recovery had occurred by this time in nonshielded controls. This effect was not demonstrable at 875 r, a dose that produced no acute intestinal deaths in either control or experimental group. An intermediate dose of 500 r to the ileal section under exposure conditions otherwise identical to the 1000-r experiment decreased the incidence of early deaths but failed to affect intestinal weight significantly as compared with controls without ileal shielding.