Protective effects of S-2-(3-aminopropylamino)ethylphosphorothioic acid against radiation damage of normal tissues and a fibrosarcoma in mice.

S-2-(3-Aminopropylamino)ethylphosphorothioic acid (WR-2721) was investigated for its protective effect against radiation-produced damage of jejunum, testis, lung, hair follicles, and a fibrosarcoma of C3Hf/Kam mice. Most of these tissues were radioprotected, and the degree of radioprotection depended on the dose of WR-2721 and the time interval between administration of WR-2721 and radiation treatment. WR-2721 increased resistance of jejunal epithelial cells and spermatogenic cells to single doses of gamma-rays by factors of 1.64 and 1.54, respectively. Protection against hair loss was less pronounced; the dose-modifying factor here was 1.24. The radiation-induced acute damage of the lung expressed by the increased formation of tumor nodules in the lung was not decreased by treatment of animals with WR-2721 before radiation. In contrast, WR-2721 augmented the radiation-induced enhancement of metastasis formation in the lung. WR-2721 protected fibrosarcoma micrometastases in the lung against therapeutic effect of radiation by a factor of 1.238. In contrast, this compound had no effect on the therapy of an 8-mm fibrosarcoma growing in the legs of mice.