[Total Ca contents in blood cells and plasma of the irradiated animals].

The research article investigates the effects of irradiation on the total calcium (Ca) content in the blood cells and plasma of sheep and horses. The study observes that following irradiation, there is a marked increase in the calcium levels within certain blood cells, but with no significant changes in plasma calcium levels.

Experiments and Findings

• The experiment was conducted on sheep and horses subjected to whole-body irradiation. The researchers measured the total Ca content in erythrocytes (red blood cells), lymphocytes (white blood cells) and platelets in the immediate aftermath (from 1st till 5th days) and during the first 15 days after irradiation.
• Results indicated that the total Ca content in erythrocytes increased by 10-40% in the days immediately following the irradiation, while the intracellular Mg (magnesium) content remained stable.
• In relation to lymphocytes, there was a more than two-fold increase in total Ca content over the first 15 days after exposure to irradiation, showing a substantial alteration in the Ca levels of these cells.
• Although in platelets, a trend towards an increase in Ca during the acute period of radiation disease was observed, it wasn’t as significant as the increases noted in the other types of cells.

Implications and Conclusion

• Interestingly, no considerable change was detected in the total Ca content in plasma post-irradiation. This was a critical observation, given that plasma is the largest component of blood and a key medium for the transportation of various substances, including Ca, in the body.
• These findings imply that the accumulation of Ca within the blood cells, as opposed to the plasma, following whole-body irradiation is potentially due to a disruption in the balance of intracellular Ca(2+) (calcium ions), a phenomenon known as “Ca(2+)-homeostasis”.
• Conclusively, this study validates that irradiation induces significant changes in the Ca content of blood cells. This stands as a potential area for future research in understanding the biological impacts of irradiation on living beings, which could be significant for the fields of nuclear medicine and radiation therapy.