Abdominal radiation response modified by hypoxia after intra-aortal injection of starch microspheres. Experiments in the rat.

Degradable starch microsphers were injected in the aorta of rats above the level of the superior mesenteric artery 5 min before roentgen irradiation of the abdomen. The local hypoxia, induced by the spheres, was found to have an appreciable protective effect. The dose modification factor was estimated as 0.7.