Honeybee prepupae (Apis mellifera) were exposed to 50 kR of x-rays and hemolymph samples collected 1 hour postirradiation. Last-instar wax moth larvae (Galleria mellonella) were exposed to 5, 10, 20, 50, and 75 kR of x-rays and hemolymph samples collected 24 hours postirradiation. Hemolymph extracted from honeybee prepupae 1 hour after a 50-kR exposure showed increased concentrations of phosphoethanolamine and valine. The predominant radiation effect on the hemolymph from wax moth larvae was an increased concentration of both individual amino acids and the total pool. The lowest exposure at which a radiation effect could be demonstrated was 10 kR, at which exposure lysine increased in concentration. The total pool showed significant increases at exposures greater than 20 kR. The increased free amino acid concentration after x-irradiation was attributed to a decreased capacity of the tissues to utilize the free amino acid pool particularly with respect to protein synthesis.

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Copyright 1973 Academic Press, Inc.
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