Oscillations of serum and tissue lipids in rats X-irradiated at different times of day.

Young male Wistar rats (mean body mass 200 g) adapted to a 12: 12 h light: dark regimen (7 a.m.--7 p.m., 7 p.m.--7 a.m.) were X-irradiated at 3-h intervals during one day with doses of 2.39 or 14.25 Gy and were killed 48 or 24 h afterwards. Non-esterified fatty acids were determined in their serum and white and brown adipose tissue, and triacylglycerols, phospholipids and total cholesterol in their serum and liver. The reaction of serum and tissue lipids during the day varied after both non-lethal and lethal irradiation. After non-lethal exposure, most of the curves, as regards their course, the presence of rhythm and their oscillation properties, concurred with the lipid indicator curves in the control series and indicated that the organism's response is dependent on the time of day. Circadian variation of serum and adipose tissue non-esterified fatty acid levels, the liver triacylglycerol concentration and the adrenal cholesterol concentration in lethally irradiated animals showed no significant dependence on the time of application of the stimulus. An analysis of circadian variation of the effectiveness of a stimulus facilitates an understanding of the organism's reactivity better than a single examination in the morning.