The effect of dextran sulphate on CFU-S and nucleic acids in blood and haemopoietic tissues in irradiated mice.

The effect of synthetic polyanion dextran sulphate on the development and recovery of radiation-induced haemopoietic damage in mice was investigated. Dextran sulphate (mol. wt. 500,000 D) in the dose of 40 mg.kg-1 of body weight was injected i.p. 3 days before single total body irradiation with a dose of 7.8 Gy gamma-rays. The animals were examined from hour 6 to day 26 after irradiation, i.e. from hour 78 to day 29 after DS-treatment. In irradiated mice DS-pretreatment showed some positive effect on the CFU-S number in bone marrow (less in spleen and blood), bone marrow cellularity, attenuated the radiation-induced changes of erythrocytes (number, MCV) and of RNA concentration in blood. The changes of other parameters (spleen cellularity, liver CFU-S, leukocyte count and DNA concentration in blood) were the same as in unprotected animals. In conclusion, we can say that DS-pretreatment had a beneficial effect on the recovery of radiation-induced damage of erythropoiesis but not on granulopoiesis or lymphopoiesis.