Successful Radiation Protection of the Normal Intestinal Tract in the Dog

Abstract

Successful experimental radiation protection of the small bowel and the proximal colon has been achieved in controlled animal studies, utilizing a selective superior mesenteric artery infusion of vasopressin during abdominal irradiation. The success of this technique contrasts with the nonreliability of a combination of propranolol and epinephrine infused by the same route. The differences in efficacy of these two categories of vasoconstrictors may be related to differences in the locus of activity of vasopressin and propranolol-epinephrine in the mesenteric arterial tree.