Radiation-induced emesis in the dog: Effects of lesions and drugs

Dogs exposed to 8 Gy ⁶⁰Co γ mid-abdominal irradiation exhibited emesis with an average latency of 102 min and an average of 7.4 episodes over 96 min. There were no significant changes in dogs subjected to a chronic bilateral subdiaphragmatic vagotomy, but emesis was prevented by ablation of the area postrema. Indomethacin pretreatment also prevented radiation-induced emesis in two of seven dogs and in the remainder reduced the average number of episodes. Domperidone pretreatment prevented radiation-induced emesis in all four dogs tested. In electrophysiological studies recording from the area postrema the chemosensitive neurons were found to be normally silent in anesthetized preparations but excitable by a variety of emetic agents. After irradiation of the abdomen spontaneously active neurons were found with a discharge pattern that mirrored the behavioral pattern of postirradiation emesis. These studies are consistent with radiation-induced emesis being humorally mediated in the dog and implicate dopamine and/or prostaglandins as possible mediators.