Effect of fast neutrons on oxidative metabolism in experimantal animals

Whole-body irradiation of rats by fast neutrons with a sublethal radiation dose after a long time expired leads to the increase of free-radical oxidation and decrease of oxidizing phosphorylation in mitochondria membranes. These changes precede development of induced tumors. When tumors of different localization are originated, inhibition of free-radical reactions in liver mitochondria membranes is observed. Systematic injection of DNA into irradiated animals is followed by reducing the frequency of tumor development that is evidently caused by the effect of exogenetic nucleic acid preparations. This effect is observed against background of the decrease of the peroxide oxidation intensity that indicates the importance of the latter in carcinogenesis