[Toxicological evaluation of gamma ray-treated fresh fish in an experiment on rats]

The effect of fish treated with gamma-beams on the animal body on the whole and on some organs and tissues was studied in chronic experiments on 4 generations of Wistar rats of both sexes. The animals' status was evaluated according to the rats' appearance, behavior, and the time-course of changes in the body weight. In rats of the basic generation, the rate of tumor occurrence and tumor sites were also examined. Morphological and biochemical investigations were carried out over time, namely after 4, 8, 12 and 17 months. The measurements were taken of blood serum and liver proteins, blood sulfhydryl groups and hemoglobin, ascorbic acid in the liver and adrenals, as well as of the activity of AST, ALT and cholinesterase in the blood serum and in the liver. In the majority of cases, the findings obtained in experimental animals did not differ from those in controls.