The Effect of Ionizing Radiations on Cholesterol Levels of Adrenals, Liver, and Plasma

It may be an acceptable assumption that animals, in their struggle for survival during postirradiation stress, require and mobilize additional fat (1). X-irradiation has been reported to stimulate the biosynthesis of cholesterol in the radiosensitive adrenal glands, and in the liver of mammals (1, 2), although previous work was frequently performed in such ways and under such conditions that the reported values of tissue and blood plasma cholesterol could not be easily reconciled (1-12). It seemed, therefore, desirable to establish, in a uniform manner, the postirradiation cholesterol levels, not only in the sites of synthesis, adrenals, and liver, but also in the transport medium to the tissues, the blood. The effects of X-irradiation were studied in comparison with the effects of fission spectrum and thermal neutron irradiation. These investigations demonstrated that whole-body X-irradiation of rats, at the LD30(s00) level, resulted in significant postirradiation hyperlipemia in adrenal glands, liver, and, especially, blood plasma. Neutron irradiations resulted in comparable cholesterol elevation.