XIV. Radiation Protective Compounds: A Comparison of their Effects inin Vivoandin VitroSystems

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Abstract
A Number of substances is now known which, if administered to mammals immediately prior to exposure to a lethal dose of ionizing radiations, modifies the symptoms of radiation sickness and reduces the subsequent mortality rate (see Bacq and Herve, 1952, for bibliography). One possible mechanism is that the protective agent competes with vital cell constituents for the reactive radicals produced although other modes of action have been suggested. To test if these substances have the common property of high reactivity with X-ray produced radicals, their effectiveness in two in vitro systems was compared, viz:— (i) The degradation of aqueous solutions of high molecular weight polymethacrylic acid (P.M.A.) which is brought about by HO2 radicals (Alexander and Fox, 1952); the evidence for this is that X rays do not degrade in the absence of oxygen (i.e. not by H and OH radicals). HO2 radicals as well as some H2O2 are formed during irradiation in the presence of O2. However HO2 alone does not degrade P.M.A. even in concentrations one thousand times those produced by the doses of X rays used.

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