Modification of the Radiation Effect on Hair Roots of the Mouse by Actinomycin

Abstract

A technique for microscopic examination of rodent hairs was devised to determine whether actinomycin D exerts a synergistic effect on dysplastic changes of growing hairs induced by local X-irradiation. Significant synergism occurs specifically when 4 and 16 hours elapse between administration of the drug and X-irradiation. When the dosage of actinomycin D is increased from 100[mu]g/kg to 150 [mu]g/kg, damage to hair roots appears to be less when X-rays are delivered 1, 12, and 36 hours after drug administration, a somewhat unexpected observation.