SEVERAL years ago in studies on the experimental induction of leukemia (1, 2) in mice by roentgen-rays and estrogen, it was observed that estrogen-treated mice were able to withstand larger doses of radiation than mice which had not received estrogens prior to irradiation. Experiments were conducted in which both roentgen-rays and estrogen were supplied to the same mice. A much higher percentage of the mice which had received estradiol benz;oate prior to irradiation, tolerated the treatment (table 1). This gave rise to considerations regarding the possible protective effect of estrogens in radiation reactions. The present study was undertaken in an effort to provide an answer to this question. In the earlier experiments, mice of several different inbred strains were used. All mice were 40 to 60 days of age and litter mates were used in each group. The mice were irradiated in low cardboard boxes, each receiving 400 roentgen units whole body radiation.
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TREADWELL et al. (1943) studied this question.