Abstract
Mouse spermatogonial germ cells are highly sensitive to ionizing radiation. Lithium salts are reported to stimulate the postirradiation recovery of hematopoietic marrow cells. We have, therefore, examined whether administered lithium chloride (LiCl) would also be able to protect the mouse germinal cells against radiation injury. Taking DNA synthesis as an endpoint, our results show that the testicular DNA-specific activity in irradiated mice was higher by 61% on average when they had been pretreated with LiCl both 24 h and 1 h prior to γ-irradiation (2.0 Gy). It was also observed that the DNA synthetic activity in the germinal cells fully recovered after LiCl pretreatment at doses of 40 mg per kg body weight prior to total body irradiation of 0.05–0.25 Gy, whereas at doses of 0.5–6.0 Gy, following the same procedure of LiCl pretreatment, only an incomplete recovery was observed. The dose reduction factor for LiCl is 1.84. The current findings indicate that pretreatment with LiCl provides considerable protection against radiation damage in mouse spermatogonia.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received: 18 October 1996 / Accepted in revised form: 3 April 1997
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bhattacharjee, D., Rajan, R., Krishnamoorthy, L. et al. Effects of lithium chloride as a potential radioprotective agent on radiation response of DNA synthesis in mouse germinal cells. Radiat Environ Biophys 36, 125–128 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004110050063
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004110050063