[Inhibition of radiation-induced pyknosis of cell nuclei by cadmium ions].

The effect of cadmium chloride (1 to 100 microM) on the frequency of radiation pyknosis, autologous rosette-formation and supercoiled DNA structure was studied in the thymic cells of rats upon gamma-radiation and incubation of cells for 5 h at 37 degrees C. A protective effect of cadmium ions was found at concentrations of 10 to 100 microM and 0.5--4.0 Gy of gamma-radiation, when using pyknotic criterion. Similar effects of Cd2+ were noted in surface receptor assay employing the nucleoid technique. A possible role of cadmium in the inhibition of the interphase death programme is discussed.