[The antiradiation effectiveness of a mixture of Archangelica officinalis and Ledum palustre extracts in the fractionated gamma irradiation of mice].

Abstract

In experiments with mice a study was made of the favourable effect of a single dose of a mixture of extracts from Archangelica officinalis and Ledum palustre on the severity of radiation injury induced by fractionated gamma irradiation (doses of 1 and 4 Gy, cumulative dose of 12 Gy). Injection of the mixture prior to the first dose of 4 Gy (given 3 times at a 2-7 day interval) caused a significant decrease in the damaging effect with respect to both the survival rate and the average life expectancy of exposed mice. With fractionated irradiation, the protective effect of the extract mixture increased with decreasing efficiency of the cumulative radiation dose. The results obtained indicate that the mixture used protects the animals from the injury to both the gastrointestinal tract and the haemopoietic system.