The Long-term Effects of X-radiation on Nucleic Acid and Protein Metabolism in Rat Skin

Summary The in vitro incorporation of 3H-thymidine into the nucleic acids and 14C-glycine-2 into the proteins of rat skin was examined simultaneously through three consecutive hair-cycles in an attempt to approach the mechanism of long-term radiation damage. An initial single x-irradiation, carried out on the skin of the back before the start of the experiment, resulted in a prolonged inhibition of thymidine incorporation, while a stimulation of glycine incorporation into the proteins was observed. These results, supporting earlier indications of an initial nuclear effect by x-irradiation, provided new evidence of an independent cytoplasmic effect specifically involving protein synthesis.