Serum proteins in rats irradiated continuously over a long period at diminishing radiation dose rates.

The authors studied changes in serum protein concentrations in rats exposed 10 days to continuous irradiation at progressively diminishing dose rates imitating the radioactive decay of a fissile mixture, up to a total dose of 9 Gy, both during and up to 240 days after discontinuing irradiation. The prealbumin concentration (from the 6th day) and the A1-globulin concentration (from the 1st day) fell to 70% during irradiation. Afterwards, the A1-globulin level fell significantly up to the 28th day and then, from the 60th to the 240th day, rose again. During irradiation the serum haptoglobin concentration rose significantly from the 1st to the 10th day and the ceruloplasmin concentration on the 10th day. An increase in both protein concentrations (to 172% and 190%) was also observed on the 14th postirradiation day, after which the serum haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin and A1M concentration fell abruptly up to the 60th day.