title: Performance decrement after combined exposure to ionizing radiation and Shigella sonnei.
abstract: Ionizing radiation could increase morbidity from common bacterial infections in military personnel on the modern battlefield. The combined effects of a sublethal dose of ionizing radiation and the bacterial diarrheal agent Shigella sonnei on body weight and forelimb grip strength in mice were assessed over a 30-day period. Individually housed B6D2F1 female mice were divided into four groups: control, sham irradiation + gavage with saline vehicle; 3 Gy 60Co gamma radiation at 0.4 Gy/min radiation + saline gavage; sham irradiation + 1.3 x 10(8) colony-forming units (CFUs) S. sonnei via gavage, administered 4 days postirradiation; and the combination of 3 Gy 60Co gamma radiation + 1.3 x 10(8) CFUs S. sonnei. Behavioral tests were conducted 3 days preirradiation and on days 9, 14, and 22 postirradiation. Body weight was significantly reduced in the radiation + Shigella group on days 5 to 10 postirradiation. Forelimb grip strength was reduced for mice in the radiation + Shigella group on days 9 and 14 postirradiation. These data demonstrate that an exposure to gamma radiation in combination with the bacterial agent S. sonnei can lead to a synergistic loss of body weight and degradation in performance.
authors.affiliation: Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20889-5603, USA.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Landauer
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Bouhaouala
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wilhelmsen
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ferrell
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Chap
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Knudson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000528:radiation effects; D004405:Dysentery, Bacillary / Q000150:complications*; D005121:Extremities / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D005260:Female; D005720:Gamma Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D012764:Shigella sonnei / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015431:Weight Loss