Radiation-induced heart disease in rats.

After local irradiation of the rat heart with X ray doses of over 10 Gy (single dose), animals developed symptoms of radiation-induced heart disease, which at higher doses would lead to fatal cardiac failure. The LD 50 at 1 year was between 15 Gy and 20 Gy. The pericardium and epicardium responded to irradiation with exudative pericarditis after 4 months. Focal myocardial damage was secondary to progressive capillary damage.