[Enhancement of the antitumor effect of ionizing radiations in the combined use of metronidazole and induced hyperglycemia].

The authors have shown that a more pronounced antitumor effect of radiation in the combined use of metronidazole and induced short-term hyperglycemia (STH) may result not only from the summation of the two effects: the sensitizing effect of metronidazole and decreased viability of irradiated cells caused by STH but also from the intensified cytotoxic effect of metronidazole on hypoxic tumor cells. It was also noted that when hypoxic cells subjected to the sensitizing effect of electron acceptor sensitizers are found in the normal and tumorous tissues (skin), STH use following irradiation in the presence of metronidazole enhances selectively the tumor radiation effect.