The Question of Electrolyte Loss in the Intestinal Death Syndrome of Radiation Damage

Abstract

Food in the stomach of heavily irradiated rats was found to prevent absorption of orally administered radioactive sodium and subsequent bodily concentrations of Na²². Fasting the animals before irradiation and oral administration of the radioisotope prevented this abnormality. Fasting also caused sodium and potassium conservation seen as increased sodium and potassium retentions. No difference was found in the ability of rats irradiated with as much as 8000 r to conserve their total-body sodium or potassium during fasting. Similarly, no evidence was found to support the conjecture that an increased sodium loss from the whole body either is caused directly by radiation or plays a primary role in the intestinal death syndrome of radiation damage. Loss ot electrolyte-containing fluids into the intestinal tract in this syndrome appears from this study to be a terminal phenomenon secondary to denudation of the intestinal mucosa with which it coincides. (auth)