The acute effects of ionizing radiation on antibody-producing cells (PFC) in mouse spleen during primary and secondary responses to sheep erythrocytes (SRC).

Abstract

The acute effects of various doses of whole body X-radiation on the splenic PFC of mice responding to primary and secondary immunization with SRC were studied. The results showed that suppression of plaque-forming capacity occurred 2 hours after varying doses of X-rays and was very severe by 6 hours. No differences in sensitivity were seen at any stage of the primary or secondary response examined. This acute depressive effect showed that the maintenance of splenic PFC was highly sensitive to radiation and was associated with a severely reduced uptake of [3H]thymidine into the spleen at the same time after irradiation.