The Effect of Irradiation on Natural Bactericidins of Mice

Abstract

Normal mouse sera in the presence of complement were found to be bactericidal for Escherichia coli. Following whole-body exposure of CF-1 mice to 600 r, their serum bactericidal activity was slightly elevated for 1–3 hr, then fell rapidly and was no longer detectable 9–12 hr after irradiation. It returned to normal levels 11–14 days after irradiation. Nevertheless, the data presented do not indicate that loss of serum bactericidal activity is an important factor in the development of postirradiation bacteremias in mice.