[The modification of the radiation damage to the chromosomes in the somatic cells of radiosensitive Drosophila mutants. The radioprotective action of cysteamine].

The radioprotective effect of cysteamine has been studied in larva nerve ganglia of the radiosensitive mutant rad(20)201G1, mutagen-sensitive mutant mus(2)201G1 and the control strain of drosophila. Cysteamine was shown to produce a radioprotective effect in somatic cells of mus(2)201G1 and the control strain of drosophila which was manifested by the decreased incidence of cells with chromosome aberrations and diminished yield of deletions and exchanges. No significant radioprotective effect of cysteamine was observed in somatic cells of rad(2)201G1 mutant.