Ionizing radiation affects active ileal electrolyte transport

Exposure to ionizing radiation has pronounced effects on gastrointestinal physiology eliciting the fluid and electrolyte loss of the gastrointestinal syndrome. This study reports on the effect of whole-body cobalt-60 exposure on active electrolyte transport by rabbit ileum in an effort to quantify these changes and to define the mechanism by which electrolyte transport is altered. The short-circuit current (lsc), a measure of active electrolyte transport, was determined for ileal segments isolated from rabbits radiated with 5 to 100 Gy and compared to those from sham irradiated control 1 to 96 hours after exposure. One hour after exposure there was no apparent effect of radiation. However by 24 hours, there was a significant increase in lsc of segments from animals exposed to doses of 7.5 Gy and greater. The lsc remained elevated during the 96 hours for 10 and 12 Gy whereas at 7.5 Gy it returned to control values by 72 hours. The response of the tissue to a secretagogue, theophylline, was reduced 72 hours post-irradiation. By 96 hours after exposure, the response to an actively transported amino acid, alanine, was also reduced. These results indicate that radiation-induced fluid and electrolyte loss is not simply a consequence of denudiation of the intestine but due in part to alterations in cellular transport processes