The effects of Co-60 γ-irradiation causing enzyme histochemical changes of bursa fabricius, thymus and spleen in chicken

In a attempt to find out the effects of the irradiation on the lymphatic organs of birds, a total of 40 chickens(4 week old) were selected at random and allotted to control and experimental groups. The experiments were irradiated Co-60 γ-ray / 400 rads, and then the enzyme histochemical activity of Bursa Fabricius(BF), thymus and spleen and hematological changes were compared with those of controls for 30 days (24 hrs., 5, 10, 20 and 30 days). The results obtained were summarized as follows: 1. The activity of acid phosphatase (ACP) of the reticuloendothelial cells of BF, thymus and spleen and the epithelia of BF of the experiments were increased significantly from the early experimental terms and then returned to the same level of controls through the late experimental terms. 2. The activity of nonspecific esterase (NSE) of the constituent cells with exception of the lymphocytes in BF, thymus and spleen of experiments were increased significantly from the early experimental terms and then returned to the same level of control through the late experimental terms. 3. The lymphocyte percentage, total erythrocytes and hemoglobin of the experiments were severely decreased from early experimental terms and then increased to the normal levels of them in controls