Abstract
The effect of acute carbon monoxide (CO) breathing on blood oxygenation and tumour hypoxia was related to the radiation response of the C3H/Tif mammary carcinoma. Blood gas analysis showed that CO breathing caused a time- and dose-dependent formation of carboxyhaemoglobin (HbCO), a significant left shift of the oxygen dissociation curve and a reduction in tumour blood perfusion. These factors all contributed to a marked drop in tumour oxygen supply. In agreement with this, tumour hypoxia was found to be significantly increased: Microelectrode PO2 measurements showed a clear relationship between CO concentration and the proportion of low PO2 measurements (< or = 5 mmHg). The fraction of clonogenic hypoxic cells increased from 8% in air-breathing animals to 13%, 18% and 54% with 75,220 and 660 p.p.m. CO respectively. The tumour hypoxia resulted in significant radiation modification. The local tumour control after single-dose and fractionated irradiation gave TCD50 enhancement ratios (relative to air-breathing controls) of 0.90, 0.85 and 0.89 for single dose and five or ten fractions given in 5 days (P < 0.005 for all values). For 15 fractions in 5 days with 6- 6- and 12 h intervals, the TCD50 was similar in CO- and air-breathing mice, presumably as a consequence of insufficient reoxygenation during the short inter-fraction intervals. It is concluded that elevated HbCO levels to increased tumour hypoxia and that the induced hypoxia has a significant impact on the local tumour control also after fractionated irradiation.