Combined Action of Ionizing Radiation and Chemical Inhibitors on Cell Recovery : Quantitative Estimation

The purpose of this work was to determine whether the synergistic interaction of ionizing radiation and some chemicals in Chinese hamster cells was related with inhibition of the liquid holding recovery (LHR) or with the production of irreversible damages which could not be repaired. Using the proposed mathematical model describing the process of the LHR and experimental data published by others it was demonstrated that the recovery constant, i.e. the probability of the recovery per time unit, was independent while the irreversible component was increased with drug concentration. It is concluded on this basis that the LHR process itself is not damaged after the combined action of ionizing radiation and chemical inhibitors of recovery, and that the mechanism of their action may be related with the enhanced yield of irreversible damages. ____________________