Abstract
Summary
The data indicate that the fragility of erythrocytes pre-irradiation was of less importance in determining the lethality of irradiation than the type and adequacy of the diet. The three basal diets used in these studies supported growth equally well; however, animals fed diet 1 (natural) succumbed to the effects of irradiation more rapidly than did animals fed diet 2 (natural) (rbc's equally fragile) or those fed diet 3 (synthetic) (rbc's less fragile). Dietary trace mineral supplementation was observed to reduce the erythrocyte fragility. This effect which was traced (to the cobalt of the supplement was pronounced and was associated with the feeding of one of the natural diets (diet 2). Although the rbc's of animals fed the supplemented diet 2 were less fragile, these animals showed an earlier and more rapid mortality rate than did animals fed the basal diet. The data from the present studies indicate that long term feeding of polycythemic levels of cobalt increased the mortality rate of animals given whole body irradiation.
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