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RE: Report: Pentagon Asks for Anti-Radiation Drug



Stewart,
Contact the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, USUHS, Bethesda, MD, at http://www.afrri.usuhs.mil/.  We did lots of work involve radioprotectants including Vitamin C.  It's funny how none every made it into the field.

-- John

John Jacobus, MS, LCDR, MSC, USN (ret)
Certified Health Physicist
3050 Traymore Lane
Bowie, MD  20715-2024

E-mail:  jenday1@email.msn.com (H)     

-----Original Message-----
From: SAFarberMSPH@CS.COM [mailto:SAFarberMSPH@CS.COM]
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2001 11:51 AM
To: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu; bcradsafers@HOTMAIL.COM
Subject: Re: Report: Pentagon Asks for Anti-Radiation Drug

Radsafe:
Regarding this news item,  I recall seeing a translated Russian research paper included in a document published long ago by the old AEC, that involved mice given high doses of Vit. E [I can't recall if it was in their diet or by injection].  This research was part of biological research published only in Russian which the AEC had assembled into a publication circa 1972. The "high" Vitamin E mice dramatically had  approximately twice the LD-50 to whole body Co-60 gamma as the control group.

Is anyone familiar with any more recent research on Vit. E regarding its potential ability to protect mammals against the acute effects of whole body gamma? If Vit. E works this well why would a new experimental steroidal hormone be the potential future treatment of choice for extreme situations?

Stewart Farber
email: SAFarberMSPH@cs.com
In a message dated 12/7/01 9:23:50 AM Eastern Standard Time, bcradsafers@HOTMAIL.COM writes:


NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Defense Department is pressing for the approval of
a new drug that could help against radiation amid worries that Osama bin
Laden (news - web sites) and his al Qaeda network may have radioactive
weapons in their possession, The New York Times reported on Friday.

So far the drug, a steroid hormone known as 5-androstenediol that appears to
strengthen the immune system, has been tested as a radiation protectant only
in mice, the newspaper said in its online edition.

In one test, an injection protected 70 percent of mice from a level of
radiation that killed all the mice in the control group, it said.