NEUTRON EFFECTS ON ANIMALS 151 



pherol. was injected intramuscularly. Four groups of 5 male rats were 

 used as in the previous experiment, with the exception that the vitamin E 

 Avas injected intramuscularly. Treatment was continued for 2-4 days. 

 The dose was 0.1 cc, containing 1 mg. a-tocopherol, dailj'. 



cc-Tocopherol, given intramuscularly (Table II), also appeared to have 

 no effect in alleviating the testicular injvuy or loss of body weight following 

 irradiation. 



Since A-itamin E given orally as wheat-germ oil or given intramuscularly 

 as a-tocopherol apparently had no influence on the degree or nature of 

 injury produced by neutron radiation in the testes of rats, it would appear 

 that the injury caused by neutron irradiation differs from that caused by 

 \dtamin E deficiency (4). In both cases the injuries are progressive and 

 are reversible within limits. It may be that the abihty of the cells of the 

 testes of the irradiated rat to metabolize \4tamin E is impaired or that other 

 injuries to the cell are limiting factors. 



SLTM]\L\RY 



1. Loss in weight after a single dose of 56. -4 n was accompanied by a re- 

 duced food consumption in rats. When the food intake of non-irradiated 

 rats was restricted to the amount consumed by the irradiated ones their 

 weight was reduced a comparable amount. The reduced food consumption 

 by rats after a single dose of 56.4 n appeared to be responsible for the loss 

 in body weight. 



2. Irradiation of the rat with. 56.4 n was found to disturb gastric diges- 

 tion, as shown by a decreased total acidity, higher pH of the gastric fluid, 

 reduced peptic activity and prolonged food retention in the stomach. 



3. When rats were irradiated with 141 n, small 3'oung rats were found 

 to be more sensitive than older and larger ones. Of rats of equal age, but 

 differing in weight because of dietary restriction, the smaller were more 

 sensitive than the larger. Young and small rats apparently were more 

 sensitive than older and larger ones when both were fasted prior to ir- 

 radiation. 



4. The administration of vitamin E, either orally or intramuscularly, 

 did not appear to prevent testicular injury following neutron irradiation. 



REFERENCES 



(1) ExNS, T., Terrill, H. M., and Garner, J. M., Jr., Chapter 3. 



(2) Mett, in Hawk, P. B., Oser, B. L., and Summerson, W. H., "Practical Physio- 



logical Chemistr}-", I'ith Ed., The Blakiston Compam', Philadelphia (1947), 

 p. 347. 



(3) Ely, J. O., Ross, M. H., and Gay, D. M., Chapter 20. 



(4) Mason, Iv. E., J. Exptl. Zool., 55, 101 (1930). 



