Effects of single doses of radiation on cardiac function in the rat.
The hearts of rats were irradiated locally to single doses of X-ray in the range of 20-50 Gy. The mean latency period between treatment and death ranged from 550 +/- 12 days to 260 +/- 13 days for animals irradiated with doses of 20 and 50 Gy. The growth rate and cardiac output was followed for a period of 10 months after treatment. In irradiated animals, there was a delay in growth and the rate of growth plateaued at approximately 6 months after treatment. Cardiac output was measured by an external counting technique. There was a general decline in cardiac output at time intervals from 4 to 10 months after irradiation. This reduction in cardiac output was dose-dependent. A single dose of 30 Gy reduced the cardiac output to approximately 70% of the control value, 6 months after irradiation.
D000818:Animals; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D006321:Heart / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013997:Time Factors; D014965:X-Rays