A radiomodifying effect of acute hypoxia on neutron-irradiated mice and dogs.

Anoxia increased the survival of neutron irradiated mice with DMF = 1.66. As to haemopoietic stem cells neutron irradiated in vivo, DMF was 1.8. With X-irradiation DMF was 2.49 and 2.94, respectively. Anoxia decreased the damage of the intestinal mucous membrane after a whole-body neutron irradiation with a dose 3.0 Gy. A protective effect of acute hypoxia was demonstrated on dogs exposed to fast neutrons (4.0 Gy). Breathing of 10% gas hypoxic mixture protected more than half of the exposed animals from death and provided the development of a light form of radiation sickness instead of a serious one.