Radioprotective effect of whole-body hyperthermia on mice exposed to lethal doses of total-body gamma irradiation.

ABSTRACT

The whole-body hyperthermia (40 degrees C, 1 hr) 20-48 hr prior to total-body irradiation (TBI) with 9 Gy gamma rays gave 80% protection as assessed by survival of the animals. However this was reduced to 50% when mice were irradiated 7 or 15 days after hyperthermia. The local hyperthermia (42 degrees C, 1 hr) given prior to irradiation, on the other hand, did not show any protective effect. The whole-body or local hyperthermia given after TBI had no protective effect on survival of animals.