Chapter 18 



EFFECTS OF XEUTROXS OX WHITE BLOOD CELL COUXT AXD 

 BLOOD SEDBIEXTATIOX RATE OF RATS 



By M. H. ROSS and J. O. ELY 



Changes in the hematopoietic system frequently inchoate the condition 

 of the organism as a whole. Alterations in the peripheral white blood cell 

 count often occur in bacterial and parasitic infections, inflammatory pro- 

 cesses, in leukemia, after the absorption of certain drugs and poisons and 

 after penetrating radiations. Other diverse conditions such as digestion, 

 emotional disturbances (1), hormone imbalance (2), reduction in food in- 

 take (3) and reduction in required food elements have been shown to influ- 

 ence the production of blood cells or their discharge into the peripheral 

 blood (4). The number and kind of white blood cells affected are often 

 indicative of the severity of the condition. 



Alterations in the fluid portion of the blood, indicated by increased 

 rate of sedimentation and by electrophoresis may be effected by disturb- 

 ances (5) in fat metabolism, cirrhosis of the liver, by hemorrhage, fever, 

 by foreign protein reactions and by neutron irradiation (6). Shedlovsky 

 and Scudder (7) and Rogatz (8) stated that an increase in the rate of blood 

 sedimentation was always demonstrable when any considerable tissue de- 

 struction had occurred. Considerable tissue damage was found to be 

 present in certain radiosensitive tissues and organs after irradiation (9). 

 Changes in the blood sedimentation rate (10) therefore offer another cri- 

 terion of the severity of the condition. 



Lawrence et al. (11, 12) found that, in mice, leukopenia, l>Tnphopenia 

 and neutropenia follow neutron irradiation. These blood changes are 

 similar to those following X-radiation. Warren and Dunlap (13) have 

 reviewed the cellular changes and the changes in the plasma and serum 

 following penetrating radiations. The changes in the white blood cells 

 following X-ray and neutron irradiation are reported to be similar. The 

 lymphocyte was shown to be particularly sensitive to all forms of pene- 

 trating radiation. Xeutrophils were found to be radiosensitive but not 

 to such a marked degree. Following X-radiation numbers of degenerated 

 neutrophils have been reported. 



The effects of single and of multiple doses of neutron radiation on the 

 white blood cell count of rats have been studied. The effects of a single 

 dose of neutron radiation on the blood sedimentation rate was also inves- 

 tigated. 



152 



