Agents Influencing Experimental Radiation Injury. Effects of Folic Acid and Pyridoxine

Abstract

The purpose of these expts. was to find substances which would counteract the undesirable toxic effect produced by radiation on living subjects. White mice, Swiss strain inbred, were given a medium dose of 350 roentgens. Folic acid and pyridoxine hydrochloride were used in order to test their influence on exptl. radiation injury in animals completely exposed to radiation. No appreciable effect of these drugs on the hemopoietic system was noted. Fifteen [gamma] of folic acid injected daily during a period of 7 days prior to radiation and 15 days after radiation prolonged significantly the survival time of the irradiated mice. Similar observations were made with pyridoxine hydrochloride. Thus, irradiated mice injected with 50 [gamma] of pyridoxine hydrochloride intramusc. daily 7 days prior to radiation and 13 days post-radiation, extended significantly the life span of the irradiated mice, as compared with the irradiated, unmedicated mice. Of 32 mice treated with folic acid, 20 (62%) are still alive; and of 24 mice treated with pyridoxine hydrochloride, 14 are living (58%), as compared to 68 control, irradiated non-medicated mice, of which 13 (19%) are alive. Special devices were utilized in this expt. for taking blood from the animal''s tail, and for exposure to radiation of a number of mice simultaneously in separate compartments.