REOXYGENATION IN A C3H MOUSE MAMMARY-CARCINOMA - THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRONIC RATHER THAN ACUTE-HYPOXIA

The role that chronic and acute hypoxia play in tumour reoxygenation after irradiation was investigated in a C3H mouse mammary carcinoma grown in the feet of female CDF1 mice, Tumours at 200 mm(3) in size were locally irradiated with a priming dose of 20 Gy and then at various times after given a range of radiation doses under normal or clamped conditions. Local tumour control was determined 90 days later from which the tumour hypoxic fractions were calculated. Untreated tumours contained 23% hypoxic cells, Immediately after 20 Gy this increased to 52% and by 24 h had fallen to 10%, These reoxygenation experiments were repeated, giving either nicotinamide (1000 mg/kg; i.p. injected 30 min before each irradiation) to remove acute hypoxia, or carbogen breathing (for 5 min before and during irradiation) to decrease chronic hypoxia. With nicotinamide the normal hypoxic fraction was reduced to 7%, but after irradiation it had risen to 46% and by 24 h there was full reoxygenation with a value of 5% being observed. Carbogen breathing also decreased the normal hypoxic fraction to 6%, and immediately after irradiation this was increased to 38%. However, by 24 h it was still elevated at around 23%. These results suggest that chronic rather than acute hypoxia is necessary for reoxygenation in this tumour.