THE ROLE OF THIOL GROUPS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF RADIATION DAMAGE IN THYMOCYTES AND EHRLICH ASCITES CARCINOMA CELLS

Abstract

The effect of 800–1000 rads of X-irradiation on the thiol content of thymocytes and Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells has been compared. Four hours after irradiation there was a decrease in the non-protein thiol (NP.SH) content of thymus and thymocytes but no change in ascites cells. In both cells the main NP.SH compound was glutathione. There was no significant effect of irradiation on the protein thiol (P.SH) content of thymus or ascites cells, but there was a slight decrease in P.SH in thymocytes after 4 hours incubation. Isolated thymus nuclei showed an immediate small decrease in P.SH content following 800 rads in vitro. Nuclei isolated from rat thymus 1 hour after 1000 rads in vivo showed an increase in the SH content of the globulin fraction and a decrease in the SH content of the nucleohistones. The total SH content of thymocytes and ascites cells was reduced by slow diffusion of H2O2into the cell suspension, but no effect of prior irradiation on this decrease of SH was found. Inhibition of catalase in vivo and in vitro did not produce any of the morphological signs of irradiation damage in thymocytes. There was no effect of irradiation on the copper content of thymus, thymocytes, or ascites cells. The ratio of NP.SH/P.SH is higher in thymocytes than in ascites cells, but, allowing for the difference in cell size, the overall total thiol concentration was the same. Anoxia produced only a small increase in NP.SH content in both cells and a small and doubtful increase in P.SH. It is concluded that, if thiol groups are involved in cell sensitivity to radiation, only a small fraction of the total SH groups are involved at critical sites.