Radiation-induced acute necrosis of the pancreatic islet and the diabetic syndrome in th golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus).

Exposure of golden hamsters to 35 000 rad of X-rays induced acute and specific necrosis of the cells of thd isles of Longerham of the pancreas within 4 hours whereas no other tissue revealed any drastic changes which would lead to a critical illness until 36 hours. Animals began to show the characteristic signs of diabetes, that is, hyperglycaemia, hyperkaliemia, ketonemia, and acidosis at 12 hours and these continued until death, 56+/- 8 hours later. These were accompanied by the disappearance of beta-cell granules and a decrease of plasma insulin. Treatment of irradiated animals with injections of insulin resulted in a reduction in high blood glucose and the prolongation of survival time up to 5 days, which is comparable to this radiation-induced diabetic syndrome resulted from acute necrosis of the cell of the islets of Langerhans, a previously unreported lethal effect of radiation in golden hamsters.