Effect of X-Irradiation on Connective Tissue Ground Substance in Mice

Abstract

Connective tissue ground substance bullae were prepared by subcut. injns. of 0.5 ml. of approx. isosmotic sucrose solns. The mice were then killed, skinned and the fluid content of the bullae measured by obtaining the wt. of the area of filter paper wetted by each bulla under carefully standarized conditions. Concomitant measurements in the same units (mg. of filter paper) were made on the area of skin bearing the bulla, the area of an uninjected patch of check skin, and the wetted area produced by the check skin in order to correct for the fluid contained in the skin bearing the bulla. Corrections supplied by the 3 latter measurements were made by standard multiple covariance methods. Two factorially designed expts. were performed, one using 60 male and the other 60 female Swiss mice. Several X-ray doses (500, 1000, 1500r) and times of sucrose injn. relative to irradiation (24 hrs. before, just before, just after) were employed. Irradiation before injn. had a greater effect and apparently different mechanism of effect than irradiation after injection. A dosage of 500 r given before injection exerted a max. effect; a similar dosage after injn. had no effect. These results are interpreted as evidence that 500 r or less is capable of reducing the connective tissue barrier to absorption. From Duran-Reynals'' concept of the role of the ground substance in infection, the above results are used to explain the effect of X-rays on infections.