REDUCTION OF RADIATION-INDUCED HAIR LOSS BY TOPICAL APPLICATION OF RADIOPROTECTORS

Our transdermal permeation studies of radioprotectors in permeation-en hancing vehicles led us to hypothesize that radiation-induced hair los s could be reduced by topical application of radioprotectors. In the p resent study we used a hair regrowth assay in ''plucked'' mice to meas ure the radioprotective effectiveness of WR-1065, cysteine and TEMPOL when they were dissolved in a variety of vehicles, i.e., saline, dimet hyl formamide (DMF), propylene glycol (PG), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), ethanol. Protector effectiveness varied with radiation dose and vehic les. At 600 R, WR-1065 or cysteine, in any vehicle, reduced radiation- induced baldness scores; at 800 R, only WR-1065 in DMF and cysteine in saline, produced some protection. TEMPOL in ethanol produced protecti on at both the 600 and 800 R. Results suggest that suitably chosen top ical application of protector/vehicle combinations can reduce radiatio n-induced hair loss.