844 



ADVENTURES IX RADIOISOTOPE RESEARCH 



maximum value observed. We then administered the same dose of 

 labelled methanol and collected again the expired CO2 for 5 hours. 

 The third day the mice were exposed to 1500 r, then injected with metha- 

 nol and the collection repeated. The second day the controls exhaled 

 with 14 per cent more ^^COa than the first day; the third day a further 



60i 



* 50 

 o 



5 40 



n 



<u 



E 



■D 30- 



"" 20- 



en 

 o 



§ 10- 



oo 



• 



• 9 



~i — \ 1 — I — I — I 1 — I — I 1 1 — I 1 — I — I 1 — I 1—1 — \ 1 — r 



20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280300 320340360 380400420 440 



Time, mm. 



Fig. 2. Effect of exposure to 1500 r of X-rays on the amount 

 of "COg exhaled by a group of mice injected with a massive dose of 



labelled methyl alcohol. 



increase in the amount of ^*C02 exhaled by 20 per cent was observed. 

 In another set of experiments the exposed mice exhaled 14 per cent 

 more ^^COg than did the controls. 



In the experiments described above methanol was administered without 

 delay after exposure. In the experiment the results of which are seen 

 in Fig. 2, methanol was injected 24 hours after exposure to a dose of 

 1500 r. During the first 414 hr controls as irradiated mice exhaled the 

 same amount of ^^COg, in the later part of the experiment the irradiated 

 mice gave off somewhat more radiactive carbon dioxide. 



DISCUSSION 



In the living organism methanol is oxidized to formaldehyde and 

 on to formic acid (Pohl 1893). Liver tissue (Keeser and Vincke 1940), 

 to a minor extent kidney and other tissues (Barlett 1950) as well were 

 found to oxidize methanol to formaldehyde. After the consumption of 

 methanol relatively large amounts of formate are excreted in the urine 

 (Asser 1914). 



