The relationship between heating time and temperature for rat tail necrosis with and without occlusion of the blood supply.

The relationship between time of heating and temperature has been investigated for necrosis resulting in the loss of distal vertebrae in the rat tail. The study was made in both normal conditions and with the blood supply to the tail occluded. In normal conditions there was a transition in the isoeffect relationship close to 42.5 degrees C. Above this temperature a 1 degree C change was equivalent to a change in heating time by a factor of 1.95 +/- 0.01; below 42.5 degrees C the factor increased to 8.1 +/- 0.3. When the tail blood supply was occluded by a clamp the factor was 1.86 +/- 0.01 at temperatures above 42 degrees C and the tissue was considerably more sensitive to hyperthermia. The factor decreased to 1.3 +/- 0.01 at lower temperatures so that the difference in sensitivity between normal and clamped tissue markedly increased with increasing heating time. The results are interpreted in terms of decreased pH resulting from occlusion of the blood supply which renders the tissue more sensitive. The transition in the isoeffect relationship for normal tails is thought to result from the induction of thermal tolerance and is eliminated when the blood supply is occluded. The result is clearly relevant to the heat treatment of regions of tumours with poor blood supply.