134 NEUTRON EFFECTS ON ANIMALS 



They found such increases to result largely from elevated a-globulin peaks 

 and, further, to be associated with the elevated plasma lipid levels which 

 they observed in protein-depleted dogs. 



On the basis of the present few experiments, and in the absence of knowl- 

 edge' of the effect of 6-day starvation on the electrophoretic composition 

 of the plasma of a normal dog, it is not reasonable to attempt to decide 

 between the two suggested explanations. 



The increased plasma protein nitrogen with increasing time after irradia- 

 tion observed for these dogs, is, it is suggested (9), due to tissue damage 

 resulting from the effects of the irradiation; it does not seem plausible that 

 it should be due to starvation. On the other hand, the observed increase 

 in total a-globulin could be the result of starvation brought about as a 

 secondary effect of the irradiation. It is also possible because of the ex- 

 tended involvement of so many of the body organs (9) that the profound 

 disturbance of the bodily functions brought about by the irradiation, as 

 well as the starvation produced as a secondary effect, may combine to give 

 the observed abnormalities in the electrophoresis patterns. 



SUMMARY 



Electrophoresis patterns for the blood plasmas of neutron-irradiated 

 dogs have been found to be essentially normal when the irradiation was of 

 low intensity even though such irradiation was continued for a prolonged 

 period. Abnormal plasma protein distribution occurred when somewhat 

 higher dosage i-ates were continued over an extended period. High total 

 neutron irradiation given at a high dosage rate resulted in a decreased 

 albumin content coupled with a pronounced rise in total a-globulin content 

 (the increase being almost entirely in the as-component), a decided rise 

 in the total /3-globulin content, and a decrease in 7-globulin content. 



REFERENCES 



(1) Sanigar, E. B., Miller, G. L., and Maddox, M. X., Chapter 1-1. 



(2) ExNS, T., Terrill, H. M., axd Garner, J. M., Jr., Chapter 3. 



(3) LoNGSwoRTH, L. G., ./. Am. Chem. Soc, 61, 529 (1939). 



(4) TisELius, A., AND K.\BAT, E. A., /. Exptl. Med., 69, 119 (1939). 



(5) LoNGSwoRTH, L. G., Chem. Rev., 30, 323 (1942). 



(6) Lawrence, J. H., Aebersold, P. C, and Lawrence, E. O., Proc. Natl. Acad. 



Sci., 22, 543 (19.36) ; Lawrence, J. H., and Lawrence, E.G., Proc. Natl. Acad. 

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(7) Lawrence, J. H., and Tenn.^nt, R., J. Exptl. Med., 66, 667 (1937). 



(8) Krejci, L. E., Leitch, .J. L., and Sweeny, L., Chapter 12. 



(9) Ross, M. H., and Ely, J. O., Chapter 19. 



(10) Zeldis, L. J., AND Alling, E. L., J. Exptl. Med., 81, 515 (1945); Zeldis, L. J., 

 Alling, E. L., McCoord, A. B., and Kulka, J. P., J. Exptl. Med., 82, 157 

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