Hydration and Radiosensitivity

Abstract

Summary and Conclusions

1. Artemia “eggs,” essentially in the blastula stage in suspended development, can tolerate about 200,- 000 r more x-radiation in the dry than in the wet state, if criteria of hatching and motility after 48 hours hydration are considered. 2. The disparity between hatching and motility curves is greater in dry than in hydrated eggs following x-irradiation. Requirements for hatching must be less radiosensitive than those for motility, since there was always a disparity between these 2 steps in development. It is probable that hydrated eggs are so radiosensitive that only the hardiest survive, and these reach motility. 3. Hydrated eggs are variously radiosensitive, depending upon duration of hydration prior to x-irradiation. There is an immediate drop in radioresistance following hydration, with gradual recovery of this resistance so that after 7 hours of hydration eggs are quite radioresistant again. 4. Delay of one month between x-irradiation and hydration was detrimental to eggs, resulting in reduced values for hatching and motility. The greatest disparity was at 300,000 r.