Abstract
Summary and Conclusions
Young adult female mice were exposed to 1025 r whole-body X radiation. The spleens of these mice were mobilized surgically through an abdominal incision and lead protected during irradiation in one group and mobilized but not lead protected during irradiation in another group.
The bone marrow and lymphatic tissues were destroyed and no regeneration was as yet apparent on the tenth day in the animals irradiated without lead protection of the spleen. In the animals with lead protection of the spleen during irradiation, these tissues were never depleted of free hematopoietic cells and the bone marrow and the lymph nodes were normal in cellularity by the eighth day after irradiation.
Several possible interpretations of the role of the spleen under the conditions of these experiments are discussed.
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