Elemental diet as prophylaxis against radiation injury. Histological and ultrastructural studies
A. H. McArdle, C. Wittnich, C. R. Freeman and W. P. Duguid
We investigated whether elemental diet feeding would protect the intestine
from radiation injury. Five dogs were fed an elemental diet for three days
before receiving pelvic irradiation (500 rad/day for four days) and were
maintained on the diet during the days of irradiation. These dogs were
compared with five dogs that were fed normal kennel ration, but were
treated similarly otherwise. One day and five days following completion of
the radiation treatment, the dogs were anesthetized and a biopsy specimen
of terminal ileum was taken for histologic and electron microscopic
studies. In the dogs fed the elemental diet, there was no significant
damage to the intestine seen on histological examination, and electron
microscopy disclosed elongated microvilli and no organelle damage. However,
both histological and electron microscopic examination of the intestine
from dogs maintained on normal kennel ration showed that severe damage had
occurred from the irradiation procedure. It seems, therefore, that the
feeding of an elemental diet to dogs as a prophylaxis can afford protection
to the intestine from the acute phase of radiation injury.
