Radiation response modified by degradable starch microspheres. Experiments on the rat's foot.

Skin reaction in the rat's foot was used as an experimental method to evaluate the protective potential of profound temporary hypoxia against roentgen radiation produced by a linear accelerator. Hypoxia was induced by intraarterial injection of degradable starch microspheres. The irradiation dose needed to evoke a certain reaction in the hypoxic feet was 2.0 times the dose giving the same reaction in a control group. The results point towards a new technique of inducing local hypoxia in healthy tissues which need to be protected in an irradiation field.