Abstract
Summary
Radiosensitive tissues show a variety of alterations in radiosodium concentration after total body irradiation above an LD50. In several tissues there is a decrease followed by a sharp increase; the decrease occurs at the same time as a decrease in radiopotassium concentration. An increase in percentage water content may occur when there is a fall in radiosodium concentration. Percent loss of dry weight per day is in general most pronounced in radiosensitive tissues. Urinary excretion of radiosodium after total body irradiation at levels approximating an LD50 shows a complementary homeostatic decrease in response to the excessive loss of radiosodium through the gastrointestinal tract.
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