Influence of tocopherol on tumour cell oxygenation.

Tocopherol, a well known tissue anti-oxidant, given before local X-ray irradiation of 2 transplantable rat tumours was previously found to increase significantly the effect of irradiation. In the present study tocopherol did not influence the development of tumour necroses during growth of a transplantable rat hepatoma. The tumour tissue oxygenation of a transplantable rat sarcoma was neither found to be influenced by tocopherol. This suggests that an enhanced tumour radio-sensitivity by tocopherol is probably not explained by an influence on tumour cell oxygenation.