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Doull J, Tricou BJ. 
“Studies on the radioprotective effect of serotonin in mice”. 
Fed. Proc.. 1961;20:400 (Part I).
Abstract
"Pretreatment with serotonin (90 mg/kg IP) increased the LD50 (30-day) for whole-body x-irradiation in CF1 male mice from 542 r to 880 r. External warming of the animals to prevent the hypothermic effect of the drug did not reduce the radioprotective effect but increasing the oxygen pressure to 5 atmospheres during the radiation exposure markedly reduced the number of 30-day survivors. Measurements of the tissue oxygen tension in serotonin-treated animals by means of a modified polarographic method revealed a marked and sustained decrease in the oxygen tension of the spleen, bone marrow and muscle and a decrease of shorter duration in the oxygen tension of the liver and kidney. Lysergic acid diethylamide blocked these effects. This drug, as well as other serotonin antagonists, ergot derivatives and agents which block the smooth muscle receptors, decreased the radioprotective effect of serotonin in x-rayed mice. The repeated daily injection of serotonin at increasing dosage levels permits mice to tolerate over 500 mg/kg/day yet these animals do not exhibit an increased resistance to x-ray exposure. These studies suggest that the pharmacologic properties of serotonin are essential for its radioprotective effect and that this is probably due to the production of anoxia in critical organs."
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