Changes of the activity of certain lysosomal enzymes in the blood serum of whole-body irradiated rats.

The activities of acid phosphatase, beta-glucuronidase, beta-galactosidase, acid ribonuclease, and acid deoxyribonuclease were studied in the blood serum of rats after total, either single or franctionated, exposure. After the single, total exposure to 800 R of X-rays, remarkable increases in the activities of acid phosphatase and acid deoxyribonuclease were observed in the blood serum immediately after the irradiation. At later stages were observed statistically significant decreases of beta-glucuronidase and beta-galactosidase in the rat blood serum after the total, single exposure. The serum acid ribonuclease activity remained essentially unaltered over the whole time interval of interest. In the blood serum of the rats exposed to total, fractionated irradiation, statistically significant decreases in the acid phosphatase and beta-glucuronidase activities were observed 1 and 8 days after completing the irradiation. In the case of beta-galactosidase, this decrease lasted even up to the 15th day after the end of irradiation. The activities of serum acid deoxyribonuclease and acid ribonuclease exhibited no statistically significant changes.