Possible applications of some biochemical indicators in diagnosis and therapy efficiency assessment of radiation damage

The following biochemical indicators were monitored in the serum of beagles whole-body irradiated with 60Co at a dose of 3 Gy: aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alpha amylase, lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, Na+, K+, total lipids, beta lipoprotein and triglycerides. Antibiotics (Oxymykoin, penicillin, streptomycin) were administered to some of the dogs from day 7 to day 21 after irradiation. Apart from the increase in the lipid level at day 1 after irradiation and the drop in the activity of lactate dehydrogenase between day 1 and 7 no significant changes were observed in the course of the first week. In those dogs who were later lost, a significant increase was found in the activity of alkaline phosphatase and alpha amylase and in total lipids and beta lipoproteins betwen days 7 and 10. This increase was less significant in dogs to whom the radioprotectives cystamine and gammaphos (WR-2721) had been administered prior to irradiation. In dogs who survived after the application of radioprotectives the increase was significantly smaller or nil which demonstrates the favourable effect of the radioprotectives. The administration of antibiotics did not significantly influence the time behaviour of the indicators. From the point of view of early diagnosis of radiation damage, none of the indicators proved satisfactory. (A.K.)