The effect of previous treatment on the response of mouse feet to irradiation and hyperthermia.

The response of mouse feet to irradiation and heat was studied 90 days after a first treatment with X-rays, hyperthermia or both. Residual damage after a single dose of 20-30 Gy enhanced both the acute reaction and "late" deformity following a second treatment with radiation or hyperthermia. There was often a larger "memory" of the first radiation treatment for late deformity compared with the acute skin response, especially in the case of retreatment by hyperthermia. Prior treatment of the foot with a moderate heat dose (60 min at 44 degrees C), which by itself did not lead to deformity, had only a small effect on the response to retreatment with irradiation or heat, both with respect to the acute and "late" response. Residual damage after more severe hyperthermia (90 min at 44 degrees C) obscured the evaluation of deformity after a second treatment with radiation or hyperthermia. Feet treated with irradiation followed immediately or after 3 days by heat, show a larger "memory" when retreated with hyperthermia than with irradiation, both with regard to the acute and "late" response. Experiments using misonidazole indicated that the oxygenation status of previously treated skin (pretreatment not leading to deformity) had not changed significantly.