Abstract
In an attempt to better understand the radioprotective effect of reduced glutathione(GSH), and to observe a possible radioprotective effect of Ginseng extract, whole body X-irradiation of 1,200 r was administered to the mouse either independently or immediately following the injection of GSH or Ginseng extract to the mouse intraperitoneally. The non-protein sulfhydryl (NP-SH) and non-protein disulfide (NP-SS) levels of the liver, and NP-SH level of NP-SH of the blood of the mouse were measured at 30, 60 and 120 minutes, and results were compared with the normal. The results thus obtained are summarized as follows; 1) The normal values of NP-SH and NP-SS of the mouse liver were $5.90{\pm}0.46\;{\mu}\;mol/gm\;wet\;wt.,\;and\;3.02{\pm}0.42\;{\mu}\;mol/ml$ wet wt., respectively, and the normal value of NP-SH of NP-SH of the mouse blood was $3.98{\pm}1.29\;{\mu}\;mol/ml$ 2) The injection of both GSH and Ginseng extract produced the highest values of NP-SH in the liver at 30 minutes, but a gradual decrease to the normal was observed thereafter. When X-irradiation alone was applied, the liver NP-SH value was lower than the normal at 60 minutes post-irradiation and thereafter. When Ginseng extract was injected immediately prior to X-irradiation, the liver NP-SH was lower than the normal throughout the experiment with the lowest value at 60 minutes. However, the combination of GSH and X-irradiation produced higher than the normal values throughout the entire experiment. 3) The liver NP-SS value was most significantly elevated at 30 minutes after the injection of GSH, hut the recovery to the normal was observed thereafter. The injection of Ginseng extract produced slightly higher liver NP-SS values at 30 and 60 minutes, but the value at 120 minutes was similar to the normal. The single application of X-irradiation resulted in the lower then normal liver NP-SS values throughout the entire experiment. When GSH was injected price to X-irradiation, the liver NP-SS values were higher than the normal at 30 and 60 minutes followed b the recovery to the normal at 120 minutes. The combination of Ginseng extract and X-irradiation showed generally lower liver NP-SS values throughout the experiment. 4) The blood NP-SH showed the higher than the normal values in all the experimental groups except when GSH was injected prior to X-irradiation alone produced e significantly elevated blood NP-SS value at 30 minutes post-irradiation.