Effect of cycloheximide on the adaptive response induced by low dose radiation

Human lymphocytes pre-exposed to 10 mGy or 50 mGy of X-rays become less sensitive to subsequent large dose irradiation, exhibited lower rate of chromosome aberration than expected. This adaptive response could be inhibited by cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor for successive 2 h period ranging from 0.5h before to 4h after the low dose exposure, indicating that the adaptive response was directly related with the protein synthesis.