Subacute radiation death in chemically protected monkeys.

A new mode of death caused by radiation has been characterizcd in monkeys. Called subacute- death, it occurs in animals that would not ordinarily survive 30 days after a supralethal dose of x rays but do so because of protection conferred by chemical treatment prior to irradiation. The syndrome includes lymphocytopenia, usually accompanied by diarrhea. Histologically, atrophy of lymphoid tissue, along with a relatively normal bone marrow, is typically found. The spectrum of other lesions found at death is also different from that found after acute radiation death. (auth)