Iron-59 metabolism as an index of erythropoietic damage and recovery in monkeys exposed to nuclear radiations.

Abstract

Monkeys exposed to ionizing nuclear radiations were studied for changes in radio-iron utilization by erythrogenic tissues. Twenty-eight hours after exposure, Fe59Cl3 was injected; twenty-four hours later the first blood sample was drawn. Iron incorporation by the irradiated animals indicated marked erythropoietic depression. At 52 hours after exposure, average uptake in irradiated animals was 2.1% as compared to 10.7% in the controls. Only 3 of the original 10 irradiates survived. On repeating iron-59 injection in supplemented groups of survivors 34 days after exposure, repair and active erythropoiesis were indicated. Plasma iron exhibited periods of both hyper- and hypoferremia. Those animals which died were consistently hypoferremic for 2–3 days prior to death.