Repair Kinetics in Mouse Lung after Multiple X-ray Fractions Per Day

Summary

The potential advantage for sparing normal tissue damage by hyperfractionation of low-LET radiation may be limited by the repair kinetics of tissues in the irradiated field. Tissues with slow repair kinetics will limit the number of fractions that may be given on the same day. Results are presented for mouse lung treated with a range of doses per fraction using either two or three fractions per day in multiple X-ray fractionation schedules. The results are analysed to determine whether the repair kinetics follow a single exponential function of time. The calculated repair rate (T_1/2) was about 1·2 h for two fractions per day of 2 Gy (10F/5d) but slightly less (T_1/2 = 0·8 h) for two fractions of 9 Gy (2F/1d). For smaller doses per fraction of 1·1 Gy, given three times per day (39F/13d), the T_1/2 was not significantly less (T_1/2 = 0·3–0·7 h). For three fractions per day of 1·1 Gy per fraction an unsatisfactory fit is achieved using a single exponential function of time, and a better fit is obtained using two components of repair. The repair kinetics are slow for lung, in comparison to acute reacting tissues (except skin), and may require that 6–8 h (i.e. four or five half-times) should be allowed between fractions on the same day so that more than 95 per cent of the repairable dose is repaired. At present the variation in repair kinetics with doses per fraction between 1·1 and 9 Gy are not significantly different, so no reduction of interfraction interval should be proposed.