RE: Diet to counter acute radiation dose?

[Robert Loesch <loesch@list.eh.doe.gov>]

When I worked at AFRRI (Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute)
I remember some research into drugs that would be taken PRIOR to an
exposure.  The work was being conducted for the Defense Nuclear Agency
and the drug was to be used in times of nuclear warfare to protect troops in
high fallout areas.   They looked at all forms of free radical scavangers and the
drug that that came up with raised the LD50 to the range of 700 rem.  Don't
know the name of the compound or the ultimate fate of the work.  Just a
historical dump.  Maybe Les Slaback's memory has faired better than mine.

Bob

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-----Original Message-----
From:	Bob Hite [SMTP:BobHite@ies.iec-energy.com]
Sent:	Wednesday, January 21, 1998 2:54 PM
To:	Multiple recipients of list
Subject:	Re: Diet to counter acute radiation dose?

This is going back a bunch of years for me but...

I seem to remember that some research had been done on radioprotective
properties of cysteine, an amino acid that contains a sulfhydryl (-SH)
group, either as the free single amino acid or in proteins that contain a
lot of cysteine.  Evidently the -SH groups readily scavenge free radicals
and then cross-link to an -SS- formation.  I don't think it provided much
protection, but did suggest some.  I don't know if this is what you're
looking for, but it's a place to start.

>>> John E Riley, Jr <jerjr@holta.ho.lucent.com> 01/12 8:07 AM >>>
Has anyone heard of a dietary assist/cure to counter the effects of acute
radiation
doses, accidental or therapeutic?

jer