Abstract
One hundred twenty male Wistar rats were divided into three groups of 40 each. One was fed on low potassium-high sodium, another on low sodium-high potassium, and the third a control diet. Half of each group was irradiated with 400 R acute whole-body gamma radiation. A second set of 60 rats was set up as above but given 1,000 R acute whole-body irradiation. There were significant decreases in body weight in the irradiated rats. The serum sodium did not change, whereas serum potassium decreased after irradiation. Sixty days following the irradiation ninety-five per cent of the high potassium and control diet rats had survived the 400 R. Only 55 per cent of the low potassium diet rats survived. At the 1,000 R dose level 64 per cent of the high potassium group survived for sixty days while no rats survived in the other two diet groups. An apparent site of radiation of injury was the potassium-sodium active transport system. All data were tested by analysis of variance.
Shepherd, David Preston (1970). Dietary protection against ionizing radiation. Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -181126.