Increased SOD activities and decreased lipid peroxide levels induced by low dose X irradiation in rat organs.

After a single exposure to doses ranging from 0.05 to 0.50 Gy, the SOD activities in immune organs of the irradiated rats, at 4 h after whole-body X irradiation, showed significant increases by 50 to 90% (hereinafter p less than 0.05) in comparison with the control groups. The dose in the brain and liver showed tendencies to increase by 30 to 50% for doses ranging from 0.50 to 2.50 Gy. The levels of TBARS (lipid peroxides) in immune organs decreased significantly by 20 to 50% in contrast with the control groups for doses ranging from 0.10 to 1.00 Gy. Decreases by 20 to 30% were observed in brains and livers for doses near 0.50 Gy. When the dose was 0.25 Gy, the SOD activities in the spleen showed a persistent radiation-induced increase for at least 12 weeks, livers for 8 weeks, brains and thymuses for 4 weeks, and bone marrows for about 1 week. The TBARS levels in the brain and thymus showed persistent decreases due to irradiation for at least 12 weeks, and those in bone marrows for 8 h.