Radiation Injury to Membrane Permeability of Electrolytes

The present study was undertaken to elucidate the mechanism of the radiation injury to Na transport through the cell membrane, and of its recovery. It was found that 137Cs γ-ray irradiation in vitro caused inhibition of Na extrusion from the rat blood cell. Whereas no damage to Cl transport could be detected under the conditions of the present experiment. The failure of Na extrusion due to irradiation could be restored by the addition of ATP or DPN prior to irradiation, but could not be restored by glucose or nicotinamide. In the case of restoration by ATP, nucleosides contained therein seems to be transported into the cell and then synthesized into nucleotides, which, in turn, would serve in the restoration of Na extrusion activity.