Radioprotective effects of amifostine (WR-2721) or cystamine on radiation damage and its repair in rats whole body exposed to fission neutrons.

Sulphur containing radioprotective drugs amifostine (gammaphos, WR-2721) or cystamine (disulfide of meracaptoethylamine) of Czechoslovak production were examined in whole body fission neutrons irradiated rats in the thermal column of reactor VVR-S. Using the split-dose technic the first sublethal neutron dose in the range 1-2 Gy was followed by second lethal exposures in the two time intervals (3 or 6 days) using whole body fission neutrons irradiations (3 days interval) or whole body gamma-irradiations (6 days interval) for LD50/30 evaluation within next 30 days survival observation. In other experiments the mean survival time (MST) in days was estimated in different rats group, when animals were whole body fission neutrons irradiated twice with 3-days interval using the total lethal doses of 4 or 5 Gy. Protected rats received amifostine (160 mg.kg(-1) i.p. and 200 mg.kg(-1) i.m.) or cystamine (40 mg.kg(-1) i.p. and 50 mg.kg(-1) i.m.), control rats obtained saline 20 min before beginning of irradiation in the amount of 0.5 ml.100 g(-1) of the rat's body weight. Non-significant DRF value 1.13 for WR-2721 i.p. was calculated in survival studies in rats twice neutron irradiated with 3 days interval (DRF 1.04 for cystamine). Chemical protectors were administered before each neutron exposure. MST of twice neutron lethal iradiated rats was prolonged not regularly by radioprotectors tested. WR-2721 and cystamine i.m. were not able to increase 6 days reparation processes after sublethal 2 Gy fission neutrons whole body irradiated rats.