Sparing Effect of X-Rays for Mice Inoculated Intranasally with Egg-Adapted Influenza Virus,CAM Strain. ∗

Abstract

Summary

Pretreatment with X-rays by whole-body exposure to 350R delayed the time of death and reduced the number of deaths in mice resulting from intranasal inoculation of large doses of egg-passaged CAM strain influenza virus. The decreased mortality seemed to be due to a reduction in the frequency with which toxic pneumonitis developed after inoculation of virus since the radiation did not change the case fatality rate. The most likely explanation for the sparing effect is that pretreatment with X-rays prevented a severe inflammatory response to the injury caused by a toxic principle associated with the virus.