Radiation effects on rat testes. VII. Alterations in nucleic acids and P-32 incorporation after partial body gamma-irradiation.

Effects of partial body gamma irradiation have been studied on rat testis at lethal (2000 R) and sublethal (720 R) doses. Radiation produced a progressive decline in DNA and RNA content of testis for first 15 days at both lethal and sublethal doses, followed by recovery as evidenced up to 74 days without any evidence for recovery of spermatogenesis. The incorporation of P-32 into nucleic acids was also low as compared to normal rats on day 8 postirradiation. Subsequently there was a tendency for the enhanced incorporation of P-32 in nucleic acid fractions. The P-32 nucleic acids specific activities were higher on 74th day in radiated rats than in normal controls. Enhanced incorporation of P-32 in nucleic acids and phospholipid fractions after 15 days of irradiation indicates greater synthetic activity of testicular interstitium rather than in recovery of germ cells.