Changes in Respiratory Gases of Burros after Prolonged Fractionated Total-Body γ-Irradiation

Abstract

Thyroids of burros and rats studied at this laboratory increased their storage of '131 after irradiation with lethal and sublethal levels of -y-rays to the whole body. This led to an investigation of the 02 consumption, the C02 production, and the calculated respiratory quotient of the irradiated burro which is herein reported. An increase in metabolic activity or oxygen consumption after irradiation has been reported (1-3) for rats and dogs. No change in 02 consumption was noted by others in rats (4), mice (5), or guinea pigs (6). Three species of small animals show considerable difference in weight response after irradiation (7) which seem to indicate a difference in their metabolic activity. In mice a reduced CO2 production, to 80'% of normal, had been reported (8). These varied results in small animals led to the present study of the respiratory exchange in the chronically irradiated burro, in conjunction with other observations made at the time.